Remembering World War II

Name: Raymond Norman Stroben Rank: Second Lieutenant Service Number: O-702504 Service: 548th Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group (Heavy), United States Army Air Forces Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart Date of Birth: June 22, 1921 Place of Birth: Visalia, Tulare County, California Date of Enlistment: November 7, 1942 Place of Enlistment: Unknown Age at Enlistment: 21 Address at Enlistment: Tulare County, California Height: 6 feet, 2 inches Complexion: Light Hair color: Blonde Eye color: Blue Next of Kin: Albert Stroben (Father) Tulare Co., California Date of Death: May 12, 1944 Age of Death: 22 Cemetery: Visalia Public Cemetery, Tulare Co., California Grave: Sec. C, Block 21, Lot 20, N/W Grave Raymond Norman Stroben was the son of Albert Raymond Stroben (1897-1977) and Alice Louise (Elderkin) Stroben (1894-1933), and brother of Charles Patrick Stroben (1931-1990). His mother was born in Parrsboro, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. His father was born in Davenport, Scott County, Iowa. The family’s original surname was Strobehn (his great grandfather) from Germany, but the family anglicised it in the US. His father served in the US Army in WWI from October 23 to December 19, 1918. Raymond registered for the US Draft on February 2, 1942, in Visalia. At the time he was working for Lt. Donnel at the Visalia-Dinuba School of Aeronautics and graduated from Visalia Junior College in June of 1942. After enlisting in November 1942, Aviation Cade Stroben advanced from pre-flight training at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Centre to a primary training unit, having completed his initial training satisfactorily leading to commissions and the wings of flying officers in the Air Corps. He graduated from Navigation School in December 1943, and later, in February of 1944, he took leave from where he was training in Pyote, Texas to visit his parents in California, shortly before going overseas. He arrived in England in April of 1944, assigned to the United States Army Air Forces’ 548th Bombardment Squadron in the 385th Bomb Group (Heavy). Second Lieutenant Raymond Norman Stroben served as the Navigator of his aircraft. He was killed in action when his B-17 was attacked by enemy aircraft and crashed in the forest two miles West of Langenhain, Germany. Findagrave states he died near Hessen, Germany. The other crew who perished on B-17G #42-31787 were: Sergeant Vernon C. Burke, Jr Tail Gunner, Iowa Sergeant Melvin E. Click Right Waist Gunner, Maryland Staff Sergeant Bernard M. Kelly Radio Operator, New Jersey Sergeant Joseph A. Maltby Ball Turret Gunner, South Dakota 2nd Lieutenant Charles A. Manuel Co-Pilot, California Staff Sergeant Samuel H. Riccio Left Waist Gunner, New York Technical Sergeant Robert C. Wagner Top Turret Gunner, Kentucky 1st Lieutenant Howard M. Worster Pilot, New York One airman, Sergeant Robert W Pellman, Jr. (the Bombardier/ Togglier) of the aircraft survived the crash and became a Prisoner of War (POW). Raymond Stroben’s family chose to repatriate his remains, and he is interred at the Visalia Public Cemetery in California.

Raymond Norman Stroben

Sources: findagrave US National Gold Star Family Registry honorstate.org