Virgil E. Hurley, Jr. was born in 1925 in Oklahoma. He resided in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on February 1, 1944 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents. Virgil served as a Corporal and Gunner on F-7B #44-41678, 24th Combat Mapping Squadron, 8th Photographic Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

F-7B #44-41678 took off, with a crew of 9, on a combat photo mission from Cox's Bazaar, India. Shortly after takeoff they crashed, for an unknown reason, into the sea off Bengal. Virgil was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Cpl Hurley 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