PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Anthony Nardone still has the IOU from another American prisoner of war he beat at poker during their detention at a Nazi Prisoner Camp.

"I promise on demand 60 days after returning to the United States the sum of $404," said Nardone, reading the IOU.

Nardone may be the oldest surviving navigator of a B-17, the Flying Fortress that took to the skies during WWII.

After the Rochester native left his North Clinton Avenue neighborhood, he flew flew nine missions. German planes shot down his bomber on its last, harrowing jaunt near Berlin in September 1944. 

"During the battle, it was like being in a garbage can being hit by rubber hammers, steel hammers. The noise was so great, I couldn't stand it," Nardone said.

Nardone ejected with seconds to spare. He would be one of the few to survive. When he landed German civilians encircled him.

"I shed a tear, first time I did that. When my mother gets word that I'm missing, she'll go bananas," he said.

A young Nazi soldier spared Nardone from the mob, but put him on a train to a German prisoner camp. He spent spent eight months and a day there.

"Being a prisoner of war you lose your innocence. You gotta do everything they tell you. If you don't, you're in trouble," Nardone said.

Nardone now opens us about the experience with the help of a journal he kept during his time as a prisoner. Its page are filled with drawings, lists and poetry. 

"So Major Vonn, give us a break. Call off your watchdogs and let us escape. Ha," he read from his notebook.

Nardone returned home to raise a family. He and his wife are married more than 70 years. He worked as an engineer and rarely spoke about his time as a POW. Five years ago, he took part in an honor flight and his incredible story added a miraculous chapter. One of there men to survive the attack on his bomber, crossed his path on the Washington Mall.

"I said 'that's Gus.' I said 'Gus.' He looked back at me and he said 'Tony.' We hugged," Nardone said. "What're the odds of two soldiers, he was the tailgunner in our B-17. What're the odds of that happening. Nah."

The men shared their survival story with a crowd that gathered around them. It's another reason he's able to more easily share his story of survival, service and good fortune. It's also why he doesn't plan to call on his 75 year old IOU. 

"I never tried to collect, so it's probably worth more than $404 now," Nardone said.