IL HR0566

Honors Flight Officer Shirl P. Best of Durand, Illinois, who was killed in action during World War II on February 9, 1945, when his B-17G was shot down over Lutzkendorf, Germany

Flight Officer Best joined the U.S. Air Force in October 1942, served with the Hell's Angels unit at Molesworth Air Base in England, and completed 14 missions as a navigator, including support at the Battle of the Bulge

Before crashing, Best and his crew released their payload to avoid destroying the Village of Eisenberg, Germany, saving hundreds of lives; the village erected a memorial to the crew on September 7, 1995

Best's remains went unidentified for nearly 40 years until October 1991, when his wedding band bearing his and his wife Mary's initials confirmed his identity; he was reburied with full military honors in Durand on November 8, 2025

Encourages continued efforts to locate the remaining 3,711 missing Illinois military personnel from World War II