On July 15, 1942 six P-38s and two B-17 bombers took off from Presque Isle Air Base in Maine headed for Great Britain as part of [[Operation Bolero]], the buildup of military aircraft in Europe in the first few months of [[World War II]]. On the flight were a total of 25 men. Bad weather over Greenland, as well as poor visibility, caused the flight to expend so much fuel that they would not be able to reach Iceland, nessecitating an emergency landing on the ice in Greenland. All the men survived the landing and were rescued within four days, but the planes themselves could not be recovered. | On July 15, 1942 six P-38s and two B-17 bombers took off from Presque Isle Air Base in Maine headed for Great Britain as part of [[Operation Bolero]], the buildup of military aircraft in Europe in the first few months of [[World War II]]. On the flight were a total of 25 men. Bad weather over Greenland, as well as poor visibility, caused the flight to expend so much fuel that they would not be able to reach Iceland, nessecitating an emergency landing on the ice in Greenland. All the men survived the landing and were rescued within four days, but the planes themselves could not be recovered. |