Valden Alexander Barnson was born on March 27, 1923, in Price, Carbon County, Utah. He was the son of Christian "Chris" Barnson and Inez Blanch Morrell Barnson Pappas Haynes McCarrell. He enlisted in the service on January 6, 1943. He served in the 765th Bomb Squadron, 461st Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Left Waist Gunner of B-24J #42-50953, nicknamed "Flying Finger," during World War II.

On December 17, 1944, the “Flying Finger” took off from Torretta, Italy, as part of Mission No. 151 to bomb the synthetic oil refinery at Odertal, Germany. The “Flying Finger,” piloted by 2nd Lt. Philip J. Crossman, was last seen around 11:45 a.m. near Muglitz, Moravia. It never returned. The aircraft went down south of Neutitschein (now Nový Jičín, Czech Republic) after encountering heavy flak and German fighters, with four crewmen killed and the rest wounded or taken prisoner.

SSgt Barnson was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Roosevelt Memorial Park, Roosevelt, Duchesne County, Utah, USA.

Source of information: 461st.org, www.americanairmuseum.com