TSgt Alfred W. Young, Jr. - 514th Squadron Radio Operator/Gunner

by Stuart Young
(San Antonio, TX)

TSgt Young's fourth combat sortie was to the Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery near Vienna, Austria, on February 7, 1945. The Germans tried their best to obscure the refinery in smoke and made the bomb results unobserved. Young commented in his journal that day after the mission, "Lost three ships after bombs away. Two turned to Russian lines. I bet they are making out OK and news will get through eventually as to their whereabouts. We need to have faith in their safe return." For the mission Young subbed on a different crew, and as luck would have it, Young's crew he was matched up with back in the states was shot down on this mission. His pilot, Flight Officer Edward "Mac" McGlynn and the rest of Young's crewmates were MIA. Young didn't find out until after the war that all survived a bailout and time as POWs. He last saw them after his pilot fell back to check on Mac and the boys and their smoking B-24. Have faith.