Abner enlisted in the US Army Air Corps on September 11, 1941 at the young age of 16.
His job in the AAF was that of aircraft engineer, or crew chief. Usually these men were the top turret gunners on bombers when in the heat of action. At other times the crew chief was between the pilot and co-pilot. He would monitor the dozens of dials and gauges of the airplane so the pilot and co-pilot could concentrate on flying the plane. On the B-24 Liberator for instance, the crew chief had the important and often hazardous job of transferring fuel from one wing to another, depending on how many engines had been damaged from enemy gunfire and flak.
Abner participated in the Africa, Sicily, and Italian campaigns. He remembers crossing the vast desert in North Africa on a troop train, certainly a memorable experience.
He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was discharged from the Army Air Corp on November 5, 1945
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