First Lieutenant Gail E. Stubbs of Grainfield, Kansas, was killed in action on September 10, 1944, while flying Aircraft Commander of B-17 No. 44-6353. Stubbs served in the 32nd Bomber Squadron, 301st Bomber Group, Heavy of the 15th Air Force. The mission was against oil refineries and industrial targets in the area of Vienna, Austria. Stubbs was the first man from Gove County, Kansas to enter the armed service under the Selective Service Act of 1940; he was a volunteer. He was inducted into the U.S. Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on January 20, 1941. Stubbs' service record includes: 1) January 29, 1941- Service Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Battalion, Fort Riley, Kansas. 2) October 1, 1941-Advanced to Corporal while on maneuvers-Greenwood, Louisiana. 3) March 19, 1942-Promoted to Sergeant. 4) September 1, 1942-Advanced to Staff Sergeant and transferred to the Armored Field Artillery. 5) November 14, 1942-Left Fort Riley for Army Air Force Classifications Center, Nashville, Tennessee. 6) January 31, 1943-Entered Pilot Pre-flight School, Aviation Cadet Class 43-1, Maxwell Field, Alabama. 7) April 3, 1943-Appointed Corporal, Army Air Forces (Pilot); transferred to Camden, South Carolina. 8) May 29, 1943-Completed primary flight training at Southern Aviation School, Camden South Carolina. 9) June 2, 1943-Basic Training at Shaw Field, Sumter, South Carolina. 10) August 1, 1943-Twin engine Advanced Training, Class 43-1, Turner Field, Albany, Georgia. 11) October 1, 1943-Received Silver Wings; commissioned Second Lieutenant of the Army Air Force. 12) October 13, 1943-Attended Officers B-17 Training at Hendricks Field, Sebring, Florida. 13) December 24, 1943-Transferred to the 18th Replacement Wing Army Air Base, Salt Lake City, Utah. 14) February 9, 1944-Transferred to Sioux City, Iowa Army Air Base as B-17 Pilot. 15) April 18, 1944-Last furlough home to Grainfield, Kansas. 16) April 28, 1944-Transferred to Kearney Air Base, Kearney, Nebraska. 17) May, 1944-Transferred to an air base (unknown) on the U.S. east coast and later sent oversea. 18) June 9, 1944-Last correspondence sent to family from unknown location near Oran, Africa. 19) June 12, 1944-Transferred to Lucera Airdrome, Italy. 20) September 10, 1944-On his 26th mission, Gail E. Stubbs was killed in action on a mission near Vienna, Austria. Prior to his death, he was promoted to First Lieutenant (date unknown). Following the war, his remains were returned to the U.S. Army Air Forces and buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France. A memorial marker in his name is located at the Grainfield Cemetery, Grainfield, Kansas. Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross with Bronze Oak Leaf; Air Medal with two Bronze Oak Leaves, Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf; American Campaign Medal; European Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Stars; Army Good Conduct Medal with a two knot bar; WWII Victory Medal.