Ralph W. Van Weren was born in 1921 in Ohio. He resided in Lucas County, Ohio prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on August 27, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in construction and also as Single, without dependents. Ralph served as a Staff Sergeant and Radio Operator on C-109 #44-49062, 1347th Army Air Force Base Unit, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

C-109 #44-49062 took off, with a crew of 4, from Shamshernagar, Bangladesh on a mission to Chengdu, China. After takeoff they were not seen nor heard from again. The entire crew was lost on March 11, 1945. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until March 12, 1946, 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.

Sgt Van Wart 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