The World War II Photo of the Week
for 19 February 2001
Aerial Gunner Retires at Age 16
Nearly every air gunner in World War II was a volunteer, and the youngest of them was Sgt. De Sales Glover, who lied about his age (he was 14!) when he joined the USAAF on October 14, 1942. He completed his training, and flew six B-24 Liberator missions over Germany before his true age was discovered and he was grounded. Glover, of Pittsburgh, PA, was awarded the Air Medal before he was found out, and was later retired at the ripe old age of 16 and sent home with an honorable discharge in 1944. The picture above shows him with the tool of his trade in front of his aircraft, "Big-Time Operator." USAAF photo (May 1944), from the Webmaster's collection.
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