Gene Leroy Arth was born on August 19, 1917 in Los Angeles, California. He was the son of Carl Joseph Arth and Geneva S. Saunders Pfeifer. He served in the 514th Fighter Squadron, 406th Fighter Group as a Major during World War II. On April 21, 1944, Major Arth and Lieutenant Dowell joined the 377th Fighter Bomber Squadron of the 362nd Fighter Bomber Group, for the purpose of orientation in combat flight. Each was required to participate in three such missions before assuming the responsibilities of flight commander in their unit. It was during this acclimation period that Major Gene L. Arth became the first war casualty of his squadron. He was killed on Tuesday 22 April 1944, while on his second mission of the day, whilst in the act of strafing a train two miles west of Lingen, Germany, Major Arth's aircraft was hit several times by enemy anti-aircraft fire causing his aircraft to crash. He is now buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium.

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