My dad piloted B17s in WWII. I found online that he flew 33 missions. Some of them were as a copilot after his plane was run into and destroyed by an RAF bomber while parked. He later flew B29s and then B36s. He said that the B24 was a death trap.

The name on the B17 was Phoenix, after the mythical bird. I always look for it in old films and pictures.