Sgt. John Arihood, 25, who had been missing in action since May 13, 1943, met death in active service in Germany on that date. He had been in service for about a year and was sent to South America before being transferred abroad. He was a gunner with a U.S. bomber squadron. The message came to his aunt, Miss Esther Ahlman (of Grandview), with whom he had made his home since a child. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Will Arihood, are both deceased. Source: Muscatine Journal, Another article said he died in an Axis Prison Camp.

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Phillip W. Bailey
Injury Delays Award to Lt. Bailey of Lett - Lt. Philip W. Bailey of Letts, son of Mrs. Mabel Bailey, who is a cadet in the army air corps. will not be graduated as a class 42E fighter-flyer with his class on May 20 (1942) because of an injury to his knee. Bailey, who is stationed at Moore Field at Mission, Texas, sprained his right knee in a fall and has been confined to the hospital for three weeks. He is recovering satisfactorily  but will be unable to resume flying for several more weeks. Bailey was slated to receive his war wings as a fighter-flyer in 42E class with a group  of 36 other Iowans, among a big class of cadets and students from every state in the union, at seven pilot schools. twelve of the Iowans received their training at Moore Field.

Lt. Phil Bailey's Death Officially Confirmed - Mrs. Katherine B. Bailey of Letts, has received official word confirming the death of her husband, 1st Lt. Philip W. Bailey as the result of the destruction of an Italian submarine upon which he was a prisoner on Jan. 14, 1942. Lt. Bailey was an air corps pilot reported missing in action on Dec. 21, 1942 over North Africa, and later, word listed him as a prisoner of war of the Italian government. The next official word was the recent message from Maj. Gen. J. A. Ulio, the adjutant general as follows: "...It has now been officially established from reports received by the war department that information furnished you by the repatriated American officers who were with your husband at the time of his death, is accurate and that your husband was killed in action Jan. 14, 1942, in the Mediterranean Sea, between Tripoli and Tarants, Italy, as a result of the destruction of the Italian submarine upon which he was a prisoner. Phillip Bailey, son of Mrs. Mabel Bailey of Letts, and the late George Bailey, was born May 31, 1916, at Letts. He was graduated from the Letts High School in 1933 and completed three years of animal husbandry at Iowa State College at Ames. He was employed for 16 months as a milk tester in Scott County for the Iowa Stat College Agricultural Extension Service before enlisting as an aviation cadet in the army air corps in November 1941. He received his wings and commission as second lieutenant on July 1, 1942 at Mission, Texas, and was married on July 9 to Katherine Bruntlett, of Minneapolis, Minn. Later he received additional training at Shreveport, La., and Fort Wayne, Ind., and was made first lieutenant shortly before going overseas in November 1942. He was returning form his firs mission which was teh bombing of Gabes, Africa, when forced to bail out with his crew on Dec. 31, 1942. Lt. Bailey survived by his wife of Hyattsville, Md., his mother, Mrs. Mabel Bailey of Letts; one sister, Mrs. John La Fayette of Davenport; four brothers, Earl, Raymond and Arthur of Letts, and Lt. Lyman Bailey of the U.S. Army Air Corps now stationed on the island of Corsica.

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Arthur Bass Killed in Action
Relatives Learn Conesville Pfc Arthur E Bass, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. Orville Bass residents here for a number of years, was killed in action on July 16 according to a telegram received by the parents today from the War Department. Serving with an infantry division Pfc Bass entered the service on Oct. 21, 1942, and received his training at Camp White and Camp Adair both in Oregon He was sent overseas in May assigned first in Africa and later in the Italy theater.  Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, Saturday, Aug. 12, 1944.

Memorial services for Pfc. Arthur Bass, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. Orville Bass of Conesville who was killed in action July 16 in the Italian war theater were held Sunday afternoon at the Methodist church. The Rev. Horace Ireland had charge of the service and spoke on the subject . Mrs. Rose Jean accompanied by Miss Hilda Owen sang two songs and Mrs. Kelly McKee read So Long. Flowers were in charge of Miss Rosetta Barnhart, Mrs. Lester Johnson and Mrs. Raymond Cutkomp. Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 1944.

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Corporal Dean Bisher
Bisher Killed in Action - Official Notification is Received Here - Corporal Dean Bisher, who has previously been reported missing in action, has been officially reported as dead according to notification received here by his grandmother, Mrs. Josie Bisher. Information is that Dean was killed in action in France on November 11, the day he was reported missing. He was a member of Gen. Patton's Third Army and has been awarded a bronze star for heroism. Corp. Bisher entered service in September 1942 and was dispatched to overseas duty in June, 1944. Dean was born December 2, 1916 at Gladstone, Illinois. His mother died at the time of his birth and he was taken into the home of his grandmother here in which home he was reared and had always resided. He attended the local grade school and graduated from Morning Sun High School with the class of 1933. Since graduation he remained in this community and engaged in most part in farm work. Dean is survived by his grandmother, Mrs. Josie Bisher, his father and step-mother, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bisher of Gladstone, Illinois; a brother, Charles of Denver, Colorado; and a half-brother, Harry in service on the west coast. Source: January 11, 1945, Morning Sun News-Herald.

Dean Bisher Buried in Lorraine - KILLED NOV. 11 WHILE ON OBSERVATION MISSION - Mrs. Josie Bisher of Morning Sun has received a letter from the Chaplain of the 134th Infantry, saying: "Since you received notice from the War Department on the death of your grandson, Corporal Dean G. Bisher, on November 11, I have gathered additional information. Corporal Bisher who was in the Intelligence Division of the 2nd Bn. was moving forward with other members of his section to make necessary observations on an enemy held town, and under attack by our forces. Approaching the forward position from which the observations were to (be) made he was struck by a fragment of enemy mortar shell and killed instantly. Corporal Bisher was given a Christian burial by a protestant Army Chaplain in a Military Cemetery in Lorraine, France." Corporal Bisher was awarded the Purple Heart which has been received and he was previously awarded the Bronze Star for bravery in battle. Dean was a member of the Methodist Church of Morning Sun. Source: Feb 22, 1945 Morning Sun News-Herald

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Robert Alan Blair
Memorial Services for Robert Alan Blair, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Merle O. Blair of Anamosa, former  Louisa County residents, were conducted Sunday afternoon at the Methodist Church in Columbus Junction. Robert was killed in action Sept. 11, 1943. A quartet composed of Melvin Dicks, Mrs. S. A. Dwinell, Mrs. B. O. Roundy, and H. Lee Huston sang with Mrs. H. Lee as the accompanist. Robert Blair was born at Morning Sun on Jan. 11, 1924, and moved with his parents to Columbus Junction when  four years of age. He attended Columbus schools and the Methodist Sunday school. Two days after his 17th birthday, Jan. 13, 1941, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Burlington. He was inducted in Des Moines on Jan. 28, 1941 and went at once to Great Lakes for his  boot training. There after he was assigned to a ship and for a time was in the Pacific fleet but later was transferred.

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