1st Lt Walter Crafford was the pilot in the Crafford Flight crew. The crew completed most of their training in the mainland US. They began the final part of their training in January 1944 with the 819th Bombardment Squadron in Hawaii. Then in Feb 1944 they started combat duty in the 392nd Bombardment Squadron. Their first missions would have been flown out of the island of Kwajalein, and would have bombed the targets of Saipan and Truk from there.