Was an original member of the 351BS/100BG.  His was the 23^rd crew assigned to the 351^st.  They were assigned the 42^nd aircraft to the unit.  The plane's number is 42-30059 and was named Barker's Burdens, in honor of the pilot Alvin L. Barker.  This plane was shot down on Sept. 3, 1943 on a mission to Paris.  The MACR # is 685.  The eyewitness accounts and the MACR can be read below.  Frank Coon was blown out of the ship but recovered in time to pull the ripcord of his chute.  He survived the war as a POW in Stalag Luft 3.  Coon died on 17 Nov 1983.

Prior to this mission, Al Barker, regular pilot of this crew, was made Squadron Operations Officer, Charles Floyd moved from the co pilot's seat and Jack Boyd, who had flown overseas with the Group as a spare, became the co pilot.   Al Barker was killed on Oct. 8, 1943 over Bremen.

On the day of the mission, S/Sgt. Earl Griggs and Sgt. Dale Huffer were flying in place of regular crewmen, Willis Stroud and Robyn Fulton.  Fulton became a POW on Mar. 6, 1943 while on a mission to Berlin with the Brannan crew. 

Also, Lt. Peter Theodore, Assistant Station Gunnery Officer and a very early member of the 100th Group, was under no duty or obligation to fly combat missions but he firmly believed that only by knowing at first hand the problems encountered by combat crew gunners could he be of help to them and gain their trust and respect. This was his fourth mission and he had demonstrated great courage and coolness in action.  He flew in the position normally manned by Sgt. Edwin I. Morgan.
 

MACR #685:

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On 3 September 1943, clouds obscured the primary target, the Renault plant in Paris, so the formation proceeded to its secondary target the Beaumont le Roger Airdrome. There are conflicting accounts as to exactly what occurred, but the consensus seems to be that, while on the bomb run, the plane flown by Richard King (Crew #26) received a direct flak burst amidships and suddenly moved upwards striking the tail section of the ship flown by Crew #23. King's ship then rapidly lost altitude and the plane carrying Crew #23 exploded in mid air. One or more bombs released by Floyd's plane may have struck King's aircraft.

Eyewitness Accounts:

Major Cleven: B-17 (believed to be A/C #059) was observed to have flames pouring from bomb bay over secondary target.  7 chutes seen.

2LT Curtice:  Both the Forts were afire when I saw them first.  The one underneath (#089) lurched up and hit the upper one (#059) as if the pilot were wounded or had lost control.  Then it fell away and I saw the bombs from the upper plane go down on the lower one.  Then they both vanished into fragments.

Compiled from the accounts of several witnesses:  Ship 089 hit the tail section of  059 with its right wing.  059 dropped several bombs; then exploded as it dove away.  089 went down in a steep dive and from 3 to 7 chutes were reported.  Flames were pouring from it's bomb bay.  It appeared that the oxygen system was burning out.  It did not appear to be out of control, however, and it was thought that it may have been crash landed near Beaumont.

Post mission statement by Robert Rosenberg given Dec. 20, 1945:

The target, the Renault Works at Paris, was hidden by cloud when our group reached the target area. Flak was relatively heavy and fairly accurate. Our Group commander was knocked out of the formation and during the ensuing period in which the deputy commander moved into the group lead our plane was hit in the number three engine. Through skillful flying, LT's. Floyd and Boyd were able to keep control and maintain our position, No. 3, low squadron, low group. As we proceeded away from the target area to the secondary target at Evreux, German fighters joined the attack. We reached Paris at 0845 but did not leave until almost 0900. The fighters succeeded in sending many bullets through the plane without causing any injury to any crew members or any material damage to the plane. 

At about 0920 I began re loading the nose guns from the ammunition case on which I was sitting while the bombardier kept a sharp lookout. I had finished loading two of the guns when the pilot began to say something over the intercom. Before he could finish speaking, he, the copilot and bombardier apparently saw German fighters reforming to renew the attack. I began firing the right nose gum at an incoming fighter and while so engaged felt the plane jump violently. Observers whom I met later tell me that a plane salvaged its bombs from the high squadron just before it blew up.  One of the bombs hit our already damaged and feathered #3 engine and caused our plane to maneuver into the plane of the flight leader (This was Lt. V. Fienup's Crew #21), from which plane, already on fire, the crew members were bailing out.

Our plane was now out of formation with the left wing tip and right mid-wing section ablaze. The pilot and co-pilot were still fighting and managing to retain a modicum of control. German fighters were closing in on us and everybody was concentrating on returning the fire of these oncoming ships. Word came across the intercom to abandon ship but before I could make a move, the ship seemingly exploded. I recovered consciousness four days later. We were not permitted any freedom while in the hospital at Paris but from what little I could learn, the bombardier, Frank C. Coon, and I were the only survivors. All the while we were imprisoned, we fruitlessly sought to learn of some small word of the fate of the rest of the crew.