Robert Bruce Black was born on May 5, 1924 in Maiden, Catawba County, North Carolina. He was the son of Augustus Clarence Black and Cleo Elise Whitener Black. Bruce was a Lees-McRae graduate, Class of 1942. He was reported missing in action after a strafing mission on the coast of southeast China. Flying a low altitude strafing run, he was shot down by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. The wing of his P-51 Mustang (named "Gladys") struck the mast of a Chinese junk knocking off the left wing. The plane flipped over falling to the ground then exploding on impact killing several people on the ground. The Japanese military personnel recovered his remains from the wreckage and buried him with Japanese military honors. He was later recovered and reburied at Fort Bayard in the Catholic cemetery where his grave was marked with a simple white cross with his name. Finally his remains were recovered by the US military and laid to rest on American soil at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, HI.

Robert was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com