Melvin Recter B-17 Radio Operator/Gunner goes West

[Left Seat]

Not sure if this is old news:

94 year old, Master Sgt. Melvin Rector, a radio operator/gunner on B-17s and Memphis Belle passes on his “final mission" to England.

His trip was part of a travel program organized by "The National World War II Museum in New Orleans".

http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/wwii-b-17-gunner-revisits-england-dies-at-battle-of-britain-bunker-1.411512
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/05/27/memphis-belle-gunner-revisits-england-dies-during-final-mission.html?intcmp=ob_article_sidebar_video&intcmp=obnetwork

[bipe215]

Mr. Rector was never on a combat mission aboard the Belle. He was 96th BG, Belle was 91st. When he flew his missions the Belle was a training aircraft stateside.

[Left Seat]

Should have caught that:

Final European mission for the Belle: 19 May 1943 at Kiel, Germany

He <Melvin Recter> served there with the 96th Bomb Group in 1945 as a radio operator and gunner on B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, flying eight combat missions over Germany during the spring of the war's final year.

A big OOPS to ITV London News, Washington Post, Stars & Stripes, and PBS.