First Lieutenant Harold William Strub, (1918-2011) was born at La Rose, Illinois on March 3, 1918 to William and Leila Strub. His family moved to Perry, Oklahoma in 1921, and upon graduation from Perry High School in 1936, Harold attended one semester at Oklahoma A&M and decided that college was not for him. He stayed home and assisted his parents by working on the family farm. They were forced to move from Perry to Nowata, Oklahoma  soon after this where they worked another small farm. In 1940, Harold began seeing recruiting posters showing Uncle Sam saying "I WANT YOU", and soon after that the draft came into being. Before he was drafted, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was off to Ponce, Puerto Rico. The MOS that he was assigned was an airplane mechanic. Upon arrival in Puerto Rico after his training, there were too many mechanics assigned, so he worked in the personnel office - where in April 1942 he appled for flight school. He and many of his fellow soldiers were awaiting transportaion to flight school, so he finally arrived back in the United States (New Orleans, Louisiana) in December 1942. He arrived home in Nowata on Christmas Eve 1942 to the surprise of his family who were not expecting him. He was then assigned to the Nashville Distribution Center, then to Monroe, Louisiana. He took his Primary training in PT-17's  at Carlestrom Field, Arcadia, Florida - Basic Training at Corcoran Field, Macon, Georgia - Advanced Training (twin engine) at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas where he graduated from class 43-I on 30 September 1943. Harold married Vera Nix on April 25th, 1945 in Stillwater, Oklahoma and they had one son, Darrell.

Harold was part of a crew that consisted of: (Pilot) Lieutenant Leroy R. Nelson, (Navigator) Lieutenant Alvin H. Haas, (Engineer) Tech Sergeant Raymond H. Hundley, (Radio Operator) Corporal Frederick W. Fritz, and (Radar Operator) Private Gene Spaulding. They left Fairfield-Suisan Army Air Field in OA-10A 44-33885. [See this plane actually landing on Mindinao!]

Harold passed away on 19 September 2011 at the age of 93 and is buried in Nowata Memorial Cemetery. He was preceded in death by his wife Vera in 2002.

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