James B. Hagen entered the military service in Iowa. He resided in Allamakee County, Iowa prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 1, 1943 at Jefferson Barrack's, Missouri. James served as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on C-46A #41-24750, 1332nd Army Air Force Base Unit, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

C-46A #41-24750 took off, with a crew of 3, from Kuhming, China on a transport mission to Mohanbari, India. They were last contacted by radio and were not seen nor heard from again. The entire crew was lost on September 22, 1944. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until September 23, 1945, 1 year and 1 day after he went missing as was the custom. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

James 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, www.abmc.gov