Eldred W. Stafney was born in 1921 in North Dakota. He was the son of Jalmer Bernard Stafney and Clara L. Nelson Stafney. He served in the 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy as a Staff Sergeant and Gunner of the B-24D-20-CO "Daisy Mae" #41-24218 aircraft during World War II. "Daisy Mae" was one of the five B-24s that took off from Yangkai Airfield on a bombing mission against a cement plant north of Haiphong, near Hanoi. While on the bomb run at 12,000', the bombers were intercepted by 50+ fighters. This bomber was shot down by enemy fighters. It turned over on its back and crashed into the Bay of Tonkin (Tongking).

Staff Sergeant Stafney was declared "Missing in Action" on September 15, 1943 and is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He 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