Clark would find himself a co-pilot aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress in the 100th Bomb Group, known as the "Bloody Hundredth/" due to the number of casualties the unit suffered. Decades later, the outfit would gain acclaim for its performance in the television miniseries Masters of the Air. Clark would survive 32 grueling bombing missions over Germany, flying at 28,000 feet amid enemy fighter planes and flak.
Before shipping to Europe, Clark was assigned to Las Vegas Army Airfield as a co-pilot trainee. At the officers' club, on his first night there, he spotted a young woman in uniform – Marie Mountain – an aviator with the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, better known as WASP, whose job was to help training bomber crews to fight. enemy combatants. Immediately smitten, John and Marie dated during his brief stay in Las Vegas – and would marry upon his return home from the war, in July 1945. They were married for 63 years, until his death in 2008.
Interview recorded on December 18, 2023
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Video credits:
Director of Photography – Ethan Nagel
Editor – Daniel Taksas
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