Jack Bernard Withrow was born on November 17, 1924, in Hannibal, Marion County, Missouri. He was the son of Leroy Withrow and Marie Lillian Moyers Withrow. He enlisted in the service on July 21, 1943. He served in the 602nd Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner of B-17 #43-97387 nicknamed ''Maude an Maria'' during World War II.

On February 3, 1945, during a bombing mission over Berlin, the Maude an' Maria was involved in a mid-air collision with another B-17, serial number 43-38697, from the 603rd Bomb Squadron. The collision occurred approximately an hour after the bombs were released, and both aircraft crashed near Lehmke, close to Gardelegen, Germany. Of the ten crew members aboard Maude an' Maria, seven were killed in action, and the remaining three survived the crash and were captured, becoming prisoners of war.

SSgt Withrow was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery, Hannibal, Marion County, Missouri, USA. Jack B. Withrow’s name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 3 (right), on Butterfly 27, in the top right wing (section B).

Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com, www.398th.org