The Last Full Measure of Devotion

On the cold morning of January 8, 1942, one of many young Clarke County men enlisted into the Army Air Services at Fort Des Moines. It was a Thursday and Max Brim had signed for service only to leave a few short days later for basic training in Texas.

Max Paul Brim was born in Clarke County to Jesse and Florence Twyford Brim on April 9, 1921. He attended rural country schools including Liberty and entered service at the age of 22. Along with other boys of the county, Eddie Liggitt and Bob Cooley, Max was sent to Shephard’s Field in Wichita Falls, Texas after his basic training. After their course was completed in July of 1942, Eddie Liggitt had completed a mechanic course and was stationed in Santa Monica, California at Douglas Aircraft Plant. Max Brim would go on to further training as a flight engineer and aerial gunner.

April of 1943 saw a break in the extended training, with the local American Legion hosting a dinner in honor of just a few of the local boys in service. This included Sgt Max Brim, Sgt McLaughlin, Corp Glen McKnight and Corp Bernard Judkins. All were on a short furlough at the time and in appreciation of their service, the local veterans provided a nice, quick meal then sent them on to their families, allowing Max to marry Burdena Cole on April 26, 1943 in Mercer County, Missouri.

As a Tech Sergeant, Max was continuing his training on his aircraft. It was in May of 1943, he was stationed in Kearney, Nebraska. At the same time his brother, Harold, was stationed in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Their mother, Florence, was able to visit each of her sons for one week. This would be the last time Florence would see her son alive. Max was sent to Ft Wayne, Indiana and from there deployed overseas to England arriving on June 8, 1943. On a plane named the “Blue Bird K”, Max was a flight engineer and manned the top turret, operating the M2 Browning .50 caliber machine guns. He was one of ten men on Crew #1. On June 25, 1943, on its first and only bombing mission over the North Sea, the plane dropped below the under cast and disappeared, never to be seen again. No wreckage was salvaged and no crew was recovered. Out of a total of 30 men involved in the bombing mission that day, only 5 survived.

It wasn’t until twelve months later, TSgt Max Paul Brim’s military status changed from “Missing in Action” to “Killed in Action”. Max received a Purple Heart for his courageous actions. A memorial stone to this soldier’s last full measure of devotion was placed in Maple Hill Cemetery in Osceola.