Leonard Paul “Hap” Mills was born on November 12, 1924, in Rush County, Kansas. He was the son of Raymond Guy Mills and Lydia L. Miller Mills. He was married to Georgia Eleanor Sloan Mills. He served in the 601st Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Tail Gunner in B-17G #43-37889 nicknamed ''Black Widow” during World War II.

On January 20, 1945, the B-17G “Black Widow” departed Nuthampstead, England, for a mission into the Rhine valley. The day’s target was the bridge between Mannheim and Ludwigshafen, an important industrial and transportation link across the Rhine. The aircraft was hit by heavy flak before reaching the target, but remained steady long enough to release its bombs. Afterward, the bomber caught fire, fell out of formation, and came under attack from a German fighter before crashing near Mechtersheim in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Out of the nine crew members, two were killed in action, while the other seven parachuted to safety but were captured and spent the rest of the war as prisoners.

Sgt Mills was captured and imprisoned in Germany. After being freed, he returned to duty and ended his military career as a Staff Sergeant. He died on December 24, 1989, and is now buried in the Prairie Valley Cemetery, Raymond, Clark County, South Dakota, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.ig-heimatforschung.de