Robert P. Sharples was born on September 19, 1921 in Coshocton County, Ohio. He was the son of William Frederick Sharples and Ethel Maria McCurdy Sharples. Sergeant Sharples was a right gunner aboard B-29-1-BN Superfortress (Tail No. 42-93826) on a bombing mission to Yawata on June 15-16,
1944. In July 1944 it was reported that the aircraft had crashed into a mountain 200 miles from Cheng-tu, China and the entire crew were killed, and buried by the Chinese. The entire crew was reinterred at Fort McPherson National Cemetery on February 1, 1950. He also has a cenotaph located in Valley View Cemetery, Warsaw, Coshocton County, Ohio.
Sgt Sharples 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