The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Francis Manniello. Manniello joined the Army Air Corps in April 1941 after being drafted. In his county, the sons of Democrats were drafted before Republicans, so Manniello had been expecting this and took the aviation cadet exam early on. He was ultimately trained as a bombardier and navigator and in 1943 he deployed to England as a replacement for the 96th Bomb Group, 337th Squadron. He came under heavy fire during his first mission while bombing a railyard in Bremen, Germany. Despite losing a wing and part of the vertical stabilizer, he landed safely and completed 24 more missions. Manniello was transferred to the States to teach both celestial and radar navigation and remained in the service and served as a commanding officer in the Korean War. One of his soldiers committed suicide, which Manniello conscientiously reported as KIA to the deceased's family. He advanced to lieutenant colonel and retired in 1969 after representing the United States at the NATO Air Defense Ground Environment (NADGE).