Robert Keith Hankey was born on June 18, 1921, in Butler, Butler County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of James Edward Hankey and Virginia Dare "Vergie" Long Hankey. His first wife was Marion Idella McCormick Hankey. After the death of his first wife, he was married again to Vera Arlene Viets Burns Hankey.

Keith graduated in 1939 from Butler High School. He worked as a draftsman at Wright Field until entering the Army Air Corps on February 3, 1943. He served in World War II as part of the 323rd Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, Heavy, as a co-pilot of the B-17G 43-37594 "Strictly GI" that was shot down after a bombing mission in Mannheim and Ludwigshafen, Germany, crashing at Lachen-Speyerdorf Forest. He was taken as a Prisoner of War for two years in Germany. He was discharged as a Second Lieutenant and rehired by Wright Patterson Air Force Base in 1947. He worked his way though college earning a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Dayton. After 30 years, he retired. He died on December 7, 2010.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com