Joseph Avendano

Captain Joe Avendano was among the original pilots of the 93rd Bomb Group who flew with Ted's Travelling Circus. His war spanned from his first mission over Lille, France on October 9, 1942—when he served as co-pilot of Thunder Bird—through his 29th mission over Ploesti on August 1, 1943, this time as pilot of the Dogpatch Raiders.

Following his first tour, Avendano was assigned to the 482nd Bomb Group's 814th Squadron as Operations Officer, joining the Pathfinders for a second tour of duty. On January 23, 1944, he was lost during a night test flight.