An Innocent at Polebrook: A Memoir of an 8Th Air Force Bombardier
Charles N. Stevens, or Norm ashis friends call him, grew up in Inglewood, California. At 18 he joined the Army Air Corps. He entered in April 1943 and was dischargedafter the war in October 1946. He served as a bombardier on a B-17 in the 8thAir Force, 351st Bomb Group, at Polebrook, England during the summerand early fall of 1944. He finished his tour of duty, completing 34 bombingmissions over Germanyand occupied France, Belgium and Holland. After returning from overseas hetrained as a radar bombardier at Langley Field, Virginia and Williams Field, Arizona. He was to be assigned to a B-29 crew for duty in the Pacific when thewar ended. Following the war he enrolled at U.C.L.A., graduating with a BA in psychology. After a series of graduate courses, he earned his teaching credential. Over a span of 32 years he taught generalscience and mathematics in junior high school and English and literature inhigh school. While teaching he earned a master's degree in English atCalifornia State College at Los Angeles. He has two sons by a previousmarriage, Jeffry L. Stevens and Greg E. Stevens and fivegrandchildren - Brenda, Sharon, Eric, Michael and Beth. He retired in 1984 and has liveda life of reading, writing, traveling and being a grandfather. He lives withhis wife, Dolores Seidman, in Monterey Park, Californiawhere they have resided for 32 years.