Born: 8 October 1924 in Yonkers, N.Y.
Died: 12 January 2004 in Clearwater, FL

When very young Dave's family moved to Valley Stream L.I., NY, where he grew up. He graduated from high school, 1943 and went right in the army. After the usual buffeting about, he landed in aerial gunnery school at Tyndal Field, FL.

S/Sgt David Potters, LG T/Sgt John J. Essig (R)

As a gunner Dave was assigned to the 39th BG. He trained at Smokey Hill Army Air Field until the weather got too bad in Dec., so to speed training the group was sent to Batista Field, in Cuba. Dave and his crew 10 left Salina, KS right after Christmas. Ten weeks later back in Kansas it was off to pick up a brand new B29 at Herington Kansas then our long flight to Guam.

Dave flew 29 combat missions more than 500 hours, one that lasted 22 ½ hours nonstop, the longest nonstop mission of WWII. The entire crew was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for this feat. He was a valuable man on the airplane. After the end of hostilities, he returned to Valley Stream took up photo engraving. He went into sales and worked up to top management in a national Sunday news supplement. In 1987, after 45 years of riding the Long Island, he retired. He and his wife Marian moved to Largo, Fla. where he shoots only par and birdies.

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