A Sioux Cityan and two other men from this territory are shown in a group of Iowa airmen, somewhere in England, who recently were awarded the Army’s good conduct medal for exemplary behavior, efficiency and fidelity. From left to right the men are: Sergeant Lyle W. Rydstrom, Alta; Staff Sergeant Milton C. Barnett, Guthrie Center; Corporal Gerald K. Beaman, Spencer; Technical Sergeant Earle L. Peterson, Panora; Staff Sergeant Frank E. Monaghan, Percival; Staff Sergeant Vernon D. Grubb, Sioux City; and Corporal William G. Peterson, Des Moines. They are members of a photographic reconnaissance and mapping group.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, October 13, 1943 (photo included)
T. Sgt. Vernon D. Grubb, son of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Grubb, 1224 S. Cecelia street, is one of the soldiers at an Eighth air force aerial reconnaissance station in England who has been awarded the War Department’s distinguished unit citation by his wing commander, Col. Elliott Roosevelt. The award was made to all personnel of the photo group for “extraordinary heroism, gallantry and determination” during June. Sgt. Grubb is an aircraft mechanic and crew chief for a photographic squadron. He entered the Army in January, 1941, and is a graduate of Kingsley high school.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, November 17, 1944
***Further Research:
Vernon Dale Grubb was born Feb. 10, 1920 to John Bailey and Violet May Toothman Grubb. He died May 18, 2020 and is buried in Kingsley Cemetery, Kingsley, IA.
While serving with the Air Force at a small airbase outside Abingdon, England, he met his wife Nancy. She was a member of the British Royal Air Force stationed on the other side of Abingdon.
Source: ancestry.com
