Fred George Bender was born on April 19, 1917, in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio. He was the son of Frank Bender and Rose Belle Smith Bender. He enlisted in the service on October 26, 1940. He served in the 785th Bomber Squadron, 466th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Flight Engineer/ Top Turret Gunner of a B-24J #42-51531 during World War II.

On April 5, 1945, B-24J-5-FO 42-51531, piloted by 2nd Lt. Philip Ross, took part in the 466th Bomb Group's 220th combat mission against transportation targets in the Plauen/Hof area of Germany. Poor weather complicated the operation, and the bombers relied heavily on instrument and radar navigation. During the mission, Ross's Liberator was attacked and lost to enemy fighter action. The aircraft failed to return to RAF Attlebridge, and all nine members of the crew were killed.

Sgt Bender was declared Missing in Action, and his name was memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing in the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England.

Sources of information: www.findagrave.com, www.b24.net, weremember.abmc.gov