ENLISTMENT:

Name: James J Graba
Birth Year: 1921
Race: White, Citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Minnesota
State of Residence: Minnesota
County or City: Wadena
Enlistment Date: 31 Oct 1940
Enlistment State: Minnesota
Enlistment City: Fort Snelling
Branch: Ordnance Department
Branch Code: Ordnance Department
Grade Code: Private
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for assignment to another corps area
Component: Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life
Education: 4 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Farm hands, general farms
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 68

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WORLD WAR II CAUSALTIES

Name: James J. Graba
Death Date: 26 Aug 1944
Cemetery: Cambridge American Cemetery
Cemetery Burial Plot: Plot E Row 5 Grave 82
Cemetery City: Cambridge
Cemetery Country: England
War: World War II
Awards: Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Title: First Lieutenant
Rank: First Lieutenant
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces
Service ID: O-807418
Division: 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group, Heavy
Data Source: World War II Honor Roll

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WORLD WAR II INTERRED OVERSEAS

Name: James J Graba
Inducted From: Minnesota
Rank: First Lieutenant
Combat Organization: 569th Bomber Squadron 390th Bomber
Death Date: 26 Aug 1944
Monument: Cambridge, England
Last Known Status: Buried
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal
Air Medal
Additional Army Awards

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MISSIONS FLOWN

Name Crew# Date Aircraft# Mission# Target
Graba, James J 37 440501 231321 098 Sarreguimines FR
Graba, James J 37 440507 231603 099 Berlin GE
Graba, James J 37 440508 229962 100 Berlin GE
Graba, James J 37 440512 230266 104 Brux Czechoslovakia
Graba, James J 37 440513 229962 105 Osnabruck GE
Graba, James J 37 440519 229962 106 Berlin GE
Graba, James J 37 440530 229962 115 Troyes FR
Graba, James J 37 440602 229962 117 Boulogne FR
Graba, James J 37 440602 229962 118 Paris-Archeres FR
Graba, James J 37 440604 229962 119 Boulogne FR
Graba, James J 37 440606 229962 121 Caen coast FR
Graba, James J 37 440607 229962 124 Nantes FR
Graba, James J 37 440611 229962 126 Dinard-Pleurtvit FR
Graba, James J 37 440614 229962 128 Leculot-Chievres BE
Graba, James J 37 440615 229962 129 Misburg GE
Graba, James J 37 440621 297846 134 Ruhland GE
Graba, James J 37 440626 297846 141 Drohobycz Poland
Graba, James J 37 440703 297846 142 Arad Romania
Graba, James J 37 440705 297846 143 Beziers FR
Graba, James J 37 440711 229962 147 Munich GE
Graba, James J 37 440712 229962 148 Munich GE
Graba, James J 37 440713 229962 149 Munich GE
Graba, James J 37 440714 229962 150 Area 9 FR
Graba, James J 37 440718 229962 152 Kiel GE
Graba, James J 37 440720 229962 154 Lutzkendorf GE

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The majority of Lt Graba's missions were flown in a B-17F
Superfortress named Dottie III, later renamed the Green Banana.

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On August 26, 1944, there was a collision of two B-17's of the 390th Bomb Group over Weston in Hertfordshire, England. The two aircraft and the crewmembers are:

B17G Flying Fortress named "Ding Dong Daddy"
Serial Number 42-97182
Coded BI-P (had flown 52 missions)
Accepted by USAAF 5 Feb 44. Cheyenne Mod Center 8 Feb 44. Seattle 9 Feb 44. Great Falls 10 Feb 44. Billings 13 Feb 44. Kearney 24 Feb 44. 8th AF 16 Mar 44. Devere I
390th Bombardment Group (Heavy) 568 Squadron
Based at :- Framlingham (Parham) in Suffolk
Flying in Lead Squadron as position 6 in Group A of the 13th Combat Wing
Crash Location: In Warrens Green Wood at Weston
Time: 09.05 Hours
Crew Number 19 in 568 Squadron
Pilot. 1st Lt George E Smith (from Phoenix, Arizona) …Killed
Co-Pilot. 2nd Lt Carleton Sacco (from Manasquan, New Jersey)…Killed
Navigator. 2nd Lt Robert G Taylor (Woburn, Massachusetts)…Killed
Bombardier. 2nd Lt Herman R Collins (Home town not established)…Killed
Radio Operator. T/Sgt Victor G Graff (from Elgin, Illinois)…Killed
Eng / Top Turret Gunner. T/Sgt Allen J McCasland Jr (from Holdenville, Arizona)…Killed
Waist Gunner. S/Sgt Martin I Kilbride (Bridgeport, Connecticut)…Killed
Ball Turret Gunner. S/Sgt Michael K Kasarda (from Gary, Indiana)…Killed
Tail Gunner. Corporal Gus G Brubaker (from Ohio City, Ohio)…Killed.

Second Aircraft involved:
B17G Flying Fortress (un-named)
Serial Number 42-102936
Coded CC-P (had flown 16 missions)
Accepted by USAAF 21 Apr 44. Cheyenne Mod Center 22 Apr 44. Kearney 16 May 44. Bangor 25 May 44. Grenier 27 May 44. 8th AF 29 May 44.
390th Bombardment Group (Heavy) 569 Squadron
Based at: – Framlingham (Parham) in Suffolk.
Flying in Low Squadron as position 1 in Group A of 13th Combat Wing.

Crash Location: wreckage spread over 1.5km in Weston Park (Wreckage from Halls Green to fields opposite the old Anchor Pub)
Time: 09.05 Hours
Crew Number 27 in 569 Squadron
Pilot. 2nd Lt Paul H Bellamy (from Greeley, Iowa)…Killed
Co-Pilot. 2nd Lt James J. Graba (from Minnesota)…Killed
Navigator. 2nd Lt Raymond A Klausing (from Chevoit, Ohio)…Survived
Bombardier. 1st Lt Joseph Y Lee (from Los Angeles, California)…Killed
Radio Operator. Sgt Irwin W Casey (from Jennings, Alabama)…Killed
Eng / Top Turret Gunner. S/Sgt Frederick O Walsh (from Mobile, Alabama)…Survived
Waist Gunner. Sgt Lotus R Conser (Home town not established)… Survived
Ball Turret Gunner. Sgt Robert Hunter (from Detroit, Michigan)…Killed
Tail Gunner. Sgt Richard A McAteer (from Camden, Washington)…Survived

(This accident information was from Julian Evan-Hart posted on the 390th Memorial Museum site.)

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The Sebeka Review, October 1, 1943
LT. JAMES GRABA WAS MARRIED IN SOUTH ON SEPT. 5
Mr. and Mrs. Clifford C. Graba of Orton Twp. received word last week that their son, Lieutenant James. J. Graba, of the U.S. Army Air Corps and stationed at Sebring, Florida, was married to Miss Dorothea Talberts of Columbus, Miss. The marriage took place on Sunday afternoon, September 5, at the Baptist parsonage in Sebring.
The groom recently received his commission in the Air Corps as lieutenant. He is a graduate of the Sebeka high school and was born and grew to manhood in this community.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

The Sebeka Review, November 3, 1944
Memorial Services For Lt. James J. Graba Were Largely Attended
Mmemorial services were held for Lt. James J. Graba, U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, who was killed in action on August 26th in England, were held at the Nimrod Community Hall last Sunday afternoon, October 29. A large number of the family's and youth's friends were in attendance, as were also members of the Sebeka American Legion and Auxiliary organizations. Mr. Frei, Sunday School leader, conducted the solemn services in honor of a gallant youth who made the supreme sacrifice for his country.