Jefferson G. Gregory was born in Georgia in 1922. His parents were William C. Gregory (abt 1892 – unk), who was born in North Carolina; and Minnie R. Gregory (abt 1891 – unk), who was born in Georgia. He had a brother, Clarence Gregory (abt 1921 – unk). His home of record was Route 1, Young Harris, Towns County, Georgia. He completed one year of college, and was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia on December 31, 1943.

He completed Army Air Forces gunnery training, and was assigned as tail gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Howard A. Turnquist. The Turnquist crew completed B-17 combat crew training at Ardmore, Oklahoma. The crew was then assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group (Heavy) at Army Air Forces Station 137, near the village of Lavenham, Suffolk, England. The crew arrived at Station 137 by October 4, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

S/Sgt Gregory and three of his crew mates were killed in action on December 24, 1944, when their aircraft, B-17G 44-8614, was shot down by German fighters south of Liege, Belgium. The aircraft crashed at Deignι, about 20 kilometers southeast of Liege, Belgium. Five men survived.

S/Sgt Gregory is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.

B-17G 44-8614 crew:
• Turnquist, Howard A – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Chatterton, Thomas C – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Ceder, Richard E – 2/Lt – Bombardier – Safe
• Jordan, Frank E – 2/Lt – Navigator – Safe
• Kleinman, Stanley – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – Safe
• Stanton, Warren J – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• MacHauer, David H – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – Safe
• Gregory, Jefferson G – S/Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Matz, Neil F – Sgt – Waist Gunner – Safe

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov