Corp. Robert J., U. S. A. A. F., beloved son of Albert and Mary (nee Skrovan), brother of Albert, jr., grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Gruss, sr., and Mrs. Sophie Skrovan, passed away suddenly Aug. 19 at Tonopah, Nev. Friends may call at late residence, 2022 Robin ave., Saturday after 11 a. m. Funeral Monday, Aug. 28, at 9:30 a. m. from SS. Cyril and Methodius Church. Interment Calvary Cemetery. Jos. B. Misencek in charge.
Bob Gruss was born in Lakewood, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio in 1923. He was a backfield star on Lakewood High School's football team and signed with the Cleveland Indians organization after graduating in June 1943.
The Indians assigned Gruss to the Batavia Clippers of the Class D PONY League and the young outfielder appeared in 20 games, batting .329 with 12 RBIs and six stolen bases. He appeared to have a promising career ahead of him but military service beckoned and Gruss was a corporal with the Army Air Force before the 1944 season came around.
Gruss trained as an aerial gunner at Tonopah Army Air Field, one of the largest military bases in Nevada. As part of the 4th Air Force's 442nd Base Unit, Corporal Gruss was involved in high altitude bomber training in Consolidated B-24 Liberators.
On the morning of Saturday, August 19, 1944, Bob Gruss was aboard a B-24E that left Tonopah on a routine first phase training flight never to return. The four-engined bomber was being flown by Captain Robert E. Sweet - an instructional pilot with overseas service and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross - and Second Lt. Robert L. Pyle. Exactly what went wrong remains a mystery, but it is believed there was a failure of the right vertical stabilizer. The plane crashed in the Nevada wilderness about 20 southeast of the airfield killing all nine crew members.
The young airman's body was returned to his parents Albert and Mary in Lakewood and buried on August 28.
Bob Gruss was born in Lakewood, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio in 1923. He was a backfield star on Lakewood High School's football team and signed with the Cleveland Indians organization after graduating in June 1943.
The Indians assigned Gruss to the Batavia Clippers of the Class D PONY League and the young outfielder appeared in 20 games, batting .329 with 12 RBIs and six stolen bases. He appeared to have a promising career ahead of him but military service beckoned and Gruss was a corporal with the Army Air Force before the 1944 season came around.
Gruss trained as an aerial gunner at Tonopah Army Air Field, one of the largest military bases in Nevada. As part of the 4th Air Force's 442nd Base Unit, Corporal Gruss was involved in high altitude bomber training in Consolidated B-24 Liberators.
On the morning of Saturday, August 19, 1944, Bob Gruss was aboard a B-24E that left Tonopah on a routine first phase training flight never to return. The four-engined bomber was being flown by Captain Robert E. Sweet - an instructional pilot with overseas service and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross - and Second Lt. Robert L. Pyle. Exactly what went wrong remains a mystery, but it is believed there was a failure of the right vertical stabilizer. The plane crashed in the Nevada wilderness about 20 southeast of the airfield killing all nine crew members.
The young airman's body was returned to his parents Albert and Mary in Lakewood and buried on August 28.
Corp. Robert J., U. S. A. A. F., beloved son of Albert and Mary (nee Skrovan), brother of Albert, jr., grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Gruss, sr., and Mrs. Sophie Skrovan, passed away suddenly Aug. 19 at Tonopah, Nev. Friends may call at late residence, 2022 Robin ave., Saturday after 11 a. m. Funeral Monday, Aug. 28, at 9:30 a. m. from SS. Cyril and Methodius Church. Interment Calvary Cemetery. Jos. B. Misencek in charge.
Bob Gruss was born in Lakewood, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio in 1923. He was a backfield star on Lakewood High School's football team and signed with the Cleveland Indians organization after graduating in June 1943.
The Indians assigned Gruss to the Batavia Clippers of the Class D PONY League and the young outfielder appeared in 20 games, batting .329 with 12 RBIs and six stolen bases. He appeared to have a promising career ahead of him but military service beckoned and Gruss was a corporal with the Army Air Force before the 1944 season came around.
Gruss trained as an aerial gunner at Tonopah Army Air Field, one of the largest military bases in Nevada. As part of the 4th Air Force's 442nd Base Unit, Corporal Gruss was involved in high altitude bomber training in Consolidated B-24 Liberators.
On the morning of Saturday, August 19, 1944, Bob Gruss was aboard a B-24E that left Tonopah on a routine first phase training flight never to return. The four-engined bomber was being flown by Captain Robert E. Sweet - an instructional pilot with overseas service and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross - and Second Lt. Robert L. Pyle. Exactly what went wrong remains a mystery, but it is believed there was a failure of the right vertical stabilizer. The plane crashed in the Nevada wilderness about 20 southeast of the airfield killing all nine crew members.
The young airman's body was returned to his parents Albert and Mary in Lakewood and buried on August 28.
Bob Gruss was born in Lakewood, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio in 1923. He was a backfield star on Lakewood High School's football team and signed with the Cleveland Indians organization after graduating in June 1943.
The Indians assigned Gruss to the Batavia Clippers of the Class D PONY League and the young outfielder appeared in 20 games, batting .329 with 12 RBIs and six stolen bases. He appeared to have a promising career ahead of him but military service beckoned and Gruss was a corporal with the Army Air Force before the 1944 season came around.
Gruss trained as an aerial gunner at Tonopah Army Air Field, one of the largest military bases in Nevada. As part of the 4th Air Force's 442nd Base Unit, Corporal Gruss was involved in high altitude bomber training in Consolidated B-24 Liberators.
On the morning of Saturday, August 19, 1944, Bob Gruss was aboard a B-24E that left Tonopah on a routine first phase training flight never to return. The four-engined bomber was being flown by Captain Robert E. Sweet - an instructional pilot with overseas service and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross - and Second Lt. Robert L. Pyle. Exactly what went wrong remains a mystery, but it is believed there was a failure of the right vertical stabilizer. The plane crashed in the Nevada wilderness about 20 southeast of the airfield killing all nine crew members.
The young airman's body was returned to his parents Albert and Mary in Lakewood and buried on August 28.
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CPL, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
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