Graham "Bud" Elvgren reported that Rogers was lost while enroute home after the war, while on another B-29.

According to the American Battle Monument Commission's WWII War Dead database 1st Lt Ernest T. Rogers was assigned to the 869th BS 497th BG, 73rd BW, which operated off of Saipan, at the time of his loss. (match confirmed by ASN).

Information found on the Superfortress Then and Now in their "73rd BW Data" compiled by Tom Robison, shows the 479th BG had one plane with the following data that matched the 5 Oct 1945 date:

Tail Code: A16
Serial Number: B29 # 44-61663
Nicknamed: "Fickle Finger of Fate"
Airplane Commander: Richard E. Fate
Remarks: Crashed Saipan 5 Oct 1945 - Fate Crew + 9 passengers, No survivors.

From an audio tape of a 1992 interview with the "Bud" Elvgren for the Indiana Historical Society about his WWII experiences he mentioned that Ernest Rogers was a tobacco auctioneer prior to entering the service.

In February 2006, 1st Lt Rogers' family found our web site and provided us with the following:

"His widow never remarried and reared their two daughters alone.

His oldest daughter Pam married in 1964. She retired in 2001 after teaching school for 34 years.

His youngest daughter, Miggie, was a health-care nurse and never married. She died in 2001 with cancer at the age of 56.

In 1999, Mrs. Rogers and her daughters had the opportunity to visit Lt. Roger's gravesite together at the Punch Bowl for the first and last time."