Brigadier General Darr Hayes Alkire was a pilot of the United States Army Air Corps in 1932,[1] the United States Army Air Forces (1941), and the United States Air Force (1947); and was the first commander of the World War II 100th Bombardment Group. After his 19th B-24 Liberator mission [2] when the Lurchin Urchin [3] (41-29223)[4] crashed near Cervia,[5] he was a POW commander until April 4, 1945; then marched to Stalag Luft III where on April 27 he was the West Compound commander [6] until liberated.