Brigadier General Darr Hayes Alkire was a pilot of the United States Army Air Corps in 1932,[4] 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.[1] After his 19th B-24 Liberator mission[5]:23 when the Lurchin Urchin[6] (41-29223)[7] crashed near Cervia,[8] 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[9] until liberated.

Alkire crashed Douglas BT-2C #31-445 at Yorktown, Texas, on April 11, 1932,[10] and was piloting the "Maui Maid" (41-28623, named for his 2nd wife) which was the first 449th Bombardment Group B-24 to land in Italy[11] (at Grottaglie Airfield). The Maui Maid was scrapped for parts after a different crew struck an embankment.[12] In 1958, Alkire appeared on television in 1958 regarding the "Rocket Age"