Charles Donald Fiery was born on October 26, 1922, in Wrightsville, York County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of John Ralph Fiery and Grace Sowers Fiery. He was the husband of Anna Virginia Stonebraker Steinitz. He was a graduate of Hagerstown High School in the class of 1940. He worked as a payroll clerk before enlisting in the service on March 26, 1942. He served in the 533rd Bomber Squadron, 381st Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier of B-17F #42-37719 nicknamed "Hellcat" during World War II.

On January 11, 1944, “Hellcat” took part in a major bombing mission targeting German aircraft factories at Oschersleben. This mission was part of the strategic Allied effort to destroy Germany’s aircraft production capability. During the mission, the bomber encountered heavy German anti-aircraft fire (flak), which severely damaged the aircraft and knocked out three of its engines. With the aircraft critically damaged and unable to maintain flight, the crew attempted to escape the combat zone and head toward Allied-controlled territory. However, the extensive damage made it impossible for the aircraft to return safely to England. The pilot ultimately ditched the bomber in the IJsselmeer (then called the Zuiderzee), near Enkhuizerzand in the Netherlands. The crash resulted in heavy loss of life. Of the ten crew members aboard, nine were killed in action, while one survived and was captured after being rescued by Dutch fishermen. The bodies of several crew members were never recovered, and their remains stayed with the wreckage at the bottom of the lake for decades.

2Lt Fiery was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial, Neuville-en-Condroz, Arrondissement de Liège, Liège, Belgium. He also has a cenotaph in the Saint Paul's Lutheran Church Cemetery, Clear Spring, Washington County, Maryland, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, https://b17flyingfortress.de, weremember.abmc.gov