Lelan H. Stringer was born on December 25, 1921, in Van Zandt County, Texas. He was the son of William Ebbie Stringer and Carlie Corne Ballard Stringer. He was married to Opalene O. Dicket Stringer. He served in the 739th Bomber Squadron, 454th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner of B-24 #42-51132 during World War II.

On July 20, 1944, the U.S. Army Air Forces Consolidated B-24 #42-51132, which had departed from San Giovanni Airfield in southern Italy, was shot down by German anti-aircraft artillery (flak) while on a bombing mission over the Friedrichshafen area of southern Germany, part of the Allied strategic bombing campaign targeting German war-materiel industries. The intense flak fire inflicted critical damage on the bomber, forcing its eleven-member crew to bail out over Switzerland; the entire crew successfully parachuted to safety and survived, though at least one crewman sustained moderate injuries upon landing. Swiss authorities subsequently interned the crew members, while the unmanned bomber continued and crashed on this hillside known as Prestberg (Brastberg), where it was destroyed.

SSgt Stringer died on April 30, 2000, and is now buried in the Edom Cemetery, Edom, Van Zandt County, Texas, USA.

Source of information: https://aviation-safety.net, www.findagrave.com