Cpl Jesse Molina enlisted in the Army Air Forces in June 1942 and underwent rigorous basic training at Camp Wolters and Sheppard Field. Assigned initially as a photo lab technician at Chanute Field, IL, he later became an aerial photographer at Fort Myers, FL. In 1943, he married Amalia Cruz from Williams, AZ, and they had three children: Rosemary, Theodore, and Arthur.

At Fort Myers, Molina applied for the B-29 program and joined the TAPP Crew, experiencing the privileges and challenges of B-29 training. His crew completed fifteen combat missions, including significant events such as the V-J Day power display over Japan and the return from the Hiroshima mission. The bond formed with his crew was deepened by the shared dangers and sacrifices.

Post-war, Molina worked at the Navajo Army Depot in Flagstaff, AZ, then served in France and Germany, specializing in ammunition and weapons standardization. He was later stationed in England as an operations officer, working with both the US and British governments. After his divorce in 1973, he remarried Yolah Tregarthen in 1979; they have two children: Jeffrey, married to Teresa with two granddaughters, and Jennifer, who resides in San Antonio, TX.

Molina retired from federal service in June 1986 and now enjoys traveling between his homes in England and San Antonio, TX.