The Floyd Crew flew their combat missions beginning in late July 1944 through March 1945.  Sometime in the late fall of 1944 straws were drawn and Sgt Loveless Simon was transferred to the 15th Air Force in Italy where he completed his combat tour of duty with the 465th Bombardment Group 780th Squadron.  On February 17, 1945, Simon's crew flew B-24J-195-CO 44-41064 V-GRAND on a mission where they lost one engine, collected over 150 holes (large holes in the nose and ball turrets), lost all hydraulic fluid, rudder controls and partial aileron controls, a hole in the nose wheel, and the oxygen system shot out. "But we were lucky," wrote Simon, "yes, very lucky and made it OK to our base."  The landing gear was lowered by hand and the crew was able to repair one rudder cable and aileron controls.  His last mission was on April 24, 1945.

Loveless Simon's cousin Wilbert Abshire, was KIA on May 27, 1944 while flying on the 755th Squadron's BRINEY MARLIN.  Before being transferred to the 15th Air Force, his crew flew that very B-24 on a mission to Karlshrue, Germany three months later.