Edward T. Sumrell was born on December 10, 1923, in Pitt County, North Carolina. He served in the 851st Bomber Squadron, 490th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Right Waist Gunner on the B-24J Liberator #44-40464 during World War II. On June 22, 1944, his airplane took off from Airfield Station 138 in Eye, Suffolk, on a tactical bombing mission to Tournan-en-Brie. At Around 8:05 PM, the plane was shot down by flak hitting directly in the wing, causing the airplane to explode. All ten crew members were killed, and their plane crashed in the forest of Elbeuf (behind the station) - the town of St-Pierre-lès-Elbeuf.

B-24J Liberator #44-40464 crew:
1st Lt. Richard W. Fellows, Pilot
2nd Lt. Robert L Ambrose, Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. George I Gorham, Navigator
2nd Lt. Wiley G Comer, Bombardier
SSgt. Bruce O Boxberger, Left Waist Gunner
SSgt. Dallas G Couchman, Ball Turret Gunner
SSgt. Richard L Lemanski, Flight Engineer
SSgt. James E Lindeman, Radio Operator
SSgt. Edward T Sumrell, Right Waist Gunner
Sgt. Lawrence C Lynn, Tail Gunner

SSgt Sumrell is now buried in the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA, together in the same grave as 2Lt Ambrose, 2Lt Comer, and SSgt Couchman.