David Bernard Gruhn was born on December 13, 1923, in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. He was the son of August Gruhn and Irene Catherine Deterling Gruhn. He was married to Elizabeth Gruhn. He graduated from Pulaski High School in 1941 and worked at Cutler-Hammer, Inc. until he entered military service on October 30, 1942. He served in the 612th Bomb Squadron, 401st Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Navigator of B-17 #43-38733 ''I'll Be Seeing You'' during World War II.

On March 24, 1945, “I’ll Be Seeing You” participated in Operation Varsity, supporting Allied airborne forces during the crossing of the Rhine River into Germany. During the mission, the bomber encountered intense and highly accurate German anti-aircraft fire. Heavy flak severely damaged the aircraft, knocking out engines and inflicting critical structural damage while it was still over enemy territory. Despite the damage, the pilot managed to maintain control of the crippled bomber and turned back toward England. Struggling with reduced power and altitude, the crew worked to keep the aircraft airborne long enough to reach friendly soil. As they neared the English coast, it became evident that a standard landing would not be possible. The aircraft was forced to attempt an emergency landing near Halesworth, Suffolk, England. Although the pilot brought the bomber down without it breaking apart completely, the combination of battle damage and impact proved catastrophic. Most of the crew were killed, with only a few surviving the crash. The aircraft was destroyed and later salvaged.

2Lt Gruhn was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Wisconsin Memorial Park, Brookfield, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.b17flyingfortress.de, uk.forceswarrecords.com