James Worley Stooksbury was born on October 10, 1918. He resided in Anderson County, Tennessee prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on September 11, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Architect and also as Single, without dependents. James served as a Staff Sergeant and Engineer on C-54 #42-72370, 1345th Army Air Force Base Unit, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

C-54 #42-72370 took off, with a crew of 5, from Barrackpore, India on a mission to Kunming, China. They were contacted by radio one time and were not seen nor heard from again. The entire crew was lost. James was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He also has a cenotaph located in Red Hill Cemetery, Andersonville, Anderson County, Tennessee.

Ssgt Stooksbury 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