On July 30, 1943, the American B-17 bomber Man-O-War was shot down by German fighter planes, crashing into the occupied town of Opijnen in the Netherlands. Eight crewmen were killed and two others became war prisoners.  After the war, in appreciation of their sacrifice, the townspeople of Opijnen built a monument at the exact site of the crash in the shape of the B-17, using paving stones and a granite tail section containing the crew’s names.

The bodies of the crew were interred in the nearby churchyard, where, with the permission of their families, they remain today. The streets surrounding the crash site are named for the members of the crew and memorial services are held annually. The small park that houses the memorial was named McCammonplein in honor of the plane’s pilot, 2nd Lt. Keene C McCammon, who survived the crash.