EDDINGTON, Maine — To make it into the “Lucky Bastard Club” a World War II B-17 bomber crew member had to fly 25 times into combat and return, and one local veteran made it into the club more than once.
George Fulcher, 97, was a ball turret gunner assigned to the 94th, 91st and 341st bomber squadrons and flew into combat 73 times on missions in Germany, England and North Africa.
He was honored by his church, the East Eddington Congregational Church, on Sunday and saluted by retired pilot Col. Gregory Bassett, the senior military church member who also gave him a plaque.
After his first 50 combat trips, Fulcher was sent home but was not satisfied with being back in the United States while his brothers-in-arms were still in harm’s way.
“I did my first 50 missions over North Africa, then I got sent stateside,” Fulcher said Tuesday. “I didn’t make up my mind [to return] until I got home. It was a lot different stateside.”
With his brothers-in-arms, he never had to worry about who had his back, the veteran said.
“It was camaraderie,” Fulcher said. “Over there, everybody would help everybody else. You called them buddy.”
The Rev. Roger Tracy, senior pastor of the church, honored all veterans within the ranks of the church, asking them to stand by branch of service during Sunday’s morning service.
Then he started telling Fulcher’s story. The nonagenarian joined the service in January 1942. Because of his stature being shorter than 5-feet, he became a ball turret gunner, who climbed into his place on the bomber from underneath the aircraft before it took off.
“The average life expectancy for a B-17 bomber crew member was 18 months,” Tracy said. “They lost hundreds. Almost half did not return to base.”
Fulcher said it was hard on everyone aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress when another bomber went down.
“There was a 10-man crew on every aircraft. When you see an aircraft go down, you know 10 guys are going down with it,” the veteran said. “You didn’t talk about it. You kept your thoughts on what was happening right then and there. You stayed with what you were doing so you wouldn’t be number two.”
Fulcher said he is proud of his service but also wanted to honor the loved ones — the moms, wives, sisters, girlfriends — left behind.
“I feel for the women left behind,” he said. “They were the ones who suffered most.”
Fulcher resides with his daughter’s family in Eddington.