Alva LeRoy Knox was born on February 27, 1921 in Pennsylvania. He resided in Butler County, Pennsylvania prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 20, 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Carpenter and also as Single, without dependents. Alva served as a Technical Sergeant and Engineer / Gunner on B-24J #44-40826, 425th Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-24J #44-40826 took off, with a crew of 11, from Kunming, China on a sea sweep mission over the China Sea and the Formosa Straits. After takeoff they were not heard from nor seen again and are believed to have crashed at sea on December 18, 1944. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until December 19, 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. He also has a cenotaph located in Rider Lutheran Cemetery, West Sunbury, Butler County, Pennsylvania.

Alva was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is also 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