S/Sgt. Harold V. Rightbower was a gunner on B-24J #42-73315 assigned to the 10th Air Force, 7th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Squadron. He and the remainder of the crew tragically lost on take off on August 14, 1944 from a Kurmitola, India, on the way to Liuzhou, China. See more on that event here.
S/Sgt. Rightbower was born May 28, 1920. Graduate of McClatchy High School in 1938, Sacramento, CA. Entered service from Dawson county, Nebraska. Harold V Rightbower is buried or memorialized at Ridge Cemetery, Fremont, Dodge County, Nebraska. He has been overseas 33 months when he died, and in the service for five years. He was 24 years old. Interment was accompanied by a seven-member firing squad, on June 1948.
Before the fatal crash in India, S/Sgt. Rightbower had bailed out of a B-24 bomber, piloted by Robert L. Sturdevant, after delivering fuel to Liuzhou and then enroute to Kunming, China, on July 21, 1944, when aircraft fuel ran out. All crew had survived this event.
Fremont, Nebraska
10 Jun 1948, Thu • Page 11
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Sacramento, California
02 Oct 1944, Mon • Page 18
Fremont, Nebraska
15 Jun 1948, Tue • Page 9