Russell Conrad Scharnberg was born on January 2, 1921, in Everly, Iowa. He was the son of Conrad C. Scharnberg and Viola Matthiesen Scharnberg.

Russell graduated from Everly High School in 1939. He helped his father on the farm before going to Iowa State to study Aeronautical Engineering and graduating with the Bachelor of Science in 1943. He had enlisted in Ames on May 25, 1942, and took flight training at Blythe and Minter fields, California, in the summer of 1942. He received his commission and wings at Williams Field, Arizona, in February 1943. He had arrived in England in June 1944 and was promoted to First lieutenant.

Russell served in the 359th Fighter Squadron, 356th Fighter Group. He was Killed in Action on December 5, 1944, near Neuroppin, Germany, in his P-51 #4411326. While attacking some FW 190s at 23,000 ft., 1Lt Scharnberg seemed to split-ess and entered the overcast in a nearly vertical dive, apparently while attacking an enemy aircraft. He was not seen or heard thereafter. One newspaper also reported that he was "hammering the Hun" with his P-47 Thunderbolt fighter by attacking German ground positions, bridges, supply lines, oil dumps, railroads, marshaling yards, and chasing Jerry's troops, tanks, and trucks from the roads of France.

1Lt Scharnberg's body was never found. His name is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing, Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Hombourg, Belgium. He also has a cenotaph located in the Lone Tree Cemetery in Iowa.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, www.americanairmuseum.com