On this mission Lt Reppa was not flying with his normal crew. On a scheduled day off he was tasked to replace Lt Clyde Weid (crew #109) on this mission. Decades later Lt Reppa inscribed in the family copy of "Black Puff Polly" that his "Ball Turret gunner, Ssgt Edwyn Dempsey, was killed in action by a piece of FLAK that went through his head". The post mission report for this mission was lost. The U.S. Army Air Force database does show that Ssgt Edwyn Dempsey died on this day (ASN 32266473 New Jersy).

The number of missions that a bomber crew member was required to fly evolved and increased from 1942 to 1945 based on the expected attrition rate. 75% of bomber crews did not survive the first 25 missions. When Lt Reppa arrived at Glatton Field 8th AF bomber crew members were required to fly 25 combat missions before rotation to a non-combat assignment. The 8th Air Force attrition rates in 1944 were high especially over highly defended targets like Berlin and industrial targets. On 7 June 1944, the day after D-Day, the 8th Air Force increased the mission requirement from 25 to 30. It is well documented that this was a severe blow to many 8th Air Force crew members hoping to make it out alive. They volunteered to fly and fight and destroy the Germans and Japaneese and they were successful. The war in Europe ended on VE Day 8 May 1945. Lt Edward Reppa's amazing story is just one of thousands of young people who mobilized and saved the world in only four years."The Greatest Generation" is an understatement.