Capt. Werner G. Goering (born 1924) was an American bomber pilot and the nephew of Nazi Reichsmarschall and Commander of the German Luftwaffe Hermann Göring. During World War II, Werner G. Goering piloted B-17 Flying Fortresses on 48 bombing missions against occupied Europe. The 48th mission was on January 28, 1945. Werner Goering was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The young Goering spoke fluent German. After an extensive background check, he was assigned to the 303rd Bombardment Group -- Hell's Angels -- of the 8th Air Force, based at RAF Molesworth, England. This fact was kept secret by the USAAF during the time that young Goering flew missions against Nazi Germany. However, the AAF still assigned him a "uniquely qualified" co-pilot—First Lt. Jack P. Rencher. Rencher was given orders to shoot him if he ever tried to land in Germany. According to Rencher, however, the only time young Göring was not eager to rain destruction on Nazi Germany was when he had to bomb Cologne, where his grandmother lived. "He was neat, clean, a sharp dresser and in every sense military minded," Rencher said. "While I served with him he and I got along well together and I believe made an excellent team. I know of no one I would rather serve as copilot with." His parents were Karl, who emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s with his wife, Adele Göring (September 13, 1885 - December 1981), and became a U.S. citizen. He has an elder brother named Karl Goering, born about 1913. The family converted to Mormonism before he moved to the United States.
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