“I Ran To Enlist And I Ran To Get Out”: A WWII POW Recounts His Experience

Flight Officer Harvey Horn enlisted in the Army Air Corps in October 1942, and was called up in March 1943. He volunteered for pilot training and was selected to be a navigator. After his training, he deployed to Italy and served with the 772nd Bomber Squadron, 463rd Bomber Group, in the 15th Air Force based in Foggia, Italy. On March 20, 1945, his plane was shot down, and they ditched in the Adriatic. His crew was picked up by the Germans, and he spent the next 36 days as a Prisoner of War. In this interview, Harvey Horn describes his training, preparing for a mission, flying in a B-17, and being shot down. He discusses his time in captivity as he moved from Fiume, Italy, to Nuremberg, Germany, being strafed and bombed by American planes. He addresses his concerns about being an American Jewish Soldier, especially when he was held by the SS. Finally, he recounts the day he was freed, his journey home, and his life since the end of WWII.