Memorial Day Tribute

By Christopher Miller
More than a year after Lt. Henry Staib was reported missing (February 22, 1944), he was declared dead by the War Department on October 15, 1944.

Staib graduated as a navigator in Salem, Louisiana and was serving as one on a B-24 Liberator throughout his time in the U.S. Army Air Force.

He entered the service at age 21 in October 1942 and went overseas in December the following year. He was only 22 years old when his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Staib of South Renovo, received the last words from him that he had been attacked by anti-aircraft fire over the Netherlands.

Henry was reported missing while on a mission over Germany.

He was a 1939 graduate of Renovo High School.

According to records found online, he was the recipient of the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

A cenotaph exists for 2nd Lt. Henry Staib at Saint Josephs Cemetery in Renovo, and he is memorialized on a remembrance wall at Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, also known as Madingley American Cemetery, in Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England.

Cambridge American Cemetery is one of fourteen permanent military cemetery memorials established on foreign soil by the American Battle Monuments Commission to honor the dead and missing in action of World War II. It covers 30.5 acres and was established as a temporary military cemetery in 1943 on land donated by the University of Cambridge.

The site was later selected as the only permanent American World War II military cemetery in the British Isles. There are 3812 interments of American servicemen and women, a great number of whom were crew members of British-based American aircraft.

We remember 2nd Lt. Henry T. Staib, 67th Bomb Squadron, 44th Bomb Group, Heavy.

 

*This is one of five Memorial Day tributes. A new one will publish each week in May.