Robert John Hanson served on board the B-17 bomber aircraft the Memphis Belle during the Second World War.
The "Memphis Belle" crew shown at an air base in England after completing 25 missions over enemy territory on June 7, 1943. Left to right: Tech. Sgt. Harold P. Loch, top turret gunner; Staff Sgt. Cecil H. Scott, ball turret gunner; Tech. Sgt. Robert J, Hanson, radio operator; Capt. James A. Verinis, co-pilot; Capt. Robert K. Morgan, pilot; Capt. Charles B. Leighton, navigator; Staff Sgt. John P. Quinlan, tail gunner; Staff Sgt. Casimer A. Nastal, waist gunner; Capt. Vincent B. Evans, bombardier and Staff Sgt. Clarence E. Wichell, waist gunner.
Memphis Belle is a 1990 British-American war drama film directed by Michael Caton-Jones and written by Monte Merrick. The film stars Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, and Harry Connick Jr.. Memphis Belle is a fictional version of the 1944 documentary Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress by director William Wyler, about the 25th and last mission of an American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, the Memphis Belle, based in England during World War II. The 1990 version was co-produced by David Puttnam and Wyler's daughter Catherine and dedicated to her father. The film closes with a dedication to all airmen, friend or foe, who fought in the skies above Europe during World War II.