 On May 10, 1944, Lieutenant Bell was bombardier of a B-24 on a mission to bomb an enemy aircraft factory in Austria, when he was severely wounded by a burst of flak, causing him to lose his right eye and suffer shock and loss of blood.When he returned home he said he found sanctuary in Wyoming's wide-open spaces.Bell attended the University of Wyoming where he earned a bachelor's and then a master's degree in wildlife conservation and game management.