Guest Jim Miner on the dedication of a Memorial at his father's crash site

In the chaos of the Kassel Mission air battle, 25 of the 35 Liberators from the 445th Bomb Group were shot down within minutes, along with many of the German fighters. One of those bombers was piloted by Reginald Miner of upstate New York.

Earlier this year, on the 81st anniversary of the Sept. 27, 1944 battle, a memorial was dedicated at the crash site of Miner's B-24. Attending the ceremony were three generations of Miner's family: his son, Jim Miner, Jim's niece Kiera, and Kiera's son.

Recently, Kassel Mission Chronicle hosts Linda Alice Dewey and Aaron Elson spoke with Jim Miner after his return from the ceremony in Grebenau, Germany, where his uncle's bomber crashed. Two of the ten crew members, co-pilot Virgil Chima and radio operator Joe Gilfoil, were killed, and Reg Miner, who remained at the controls until all the crew bailed out, became a prisoner of war.

Music for the podcast by Linda Dewey.