Captain Colin Purdie Kelly Jr. became one of the first American casualties of WWII after Pearl harbor, flying bombing raids against the Japanese in the Far East on this date. Capt. Kelly was a native Floridian born and raised in Madison. He graduated from West Point Academy in 1937 and became the first Army Officer to fly the B-17 Flying Fortress in the Far East. Capt. Kelly heroically piloted his damaged B-17 bomber until his crew had safely bailed out of the aircraft, sacrificing his own life.