James F. Standlee Jr. was born on January 7, 1923, in Golden, Missouri. He was married to Berniece N. Standlee. He served in the 369th Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Flight Engineer of B-17 #42-97185 during World War II.

On February 14, 1945, B-17 #42-97185 was assigned to bomb the marshalling yards at Dresden, Germany. After releasing its bombs, the aircraft was attacked by German FW-190 fighters, sustaining heavy damage to the right wing and fuselage. During the attack, three crew members were wounded, forcing the bomber out of formation. Realizing the aircraft could not return to England, the pilot attempted to reach Czechoslovakia and land behind Russian lines, but as fires spread in the fuselage and one engine, he ordered the crew to bail out. The pilot was the last to abandon the aircraft, setting it on a course to avoid populated areas before it crashed near Hřídelec, Czechoslovakia. While the rest of the crew successfully parachuted out, eight were captured as prisoners of war, and Sgt. Lubojacky was the only fatality.

TSgt Standlee survived the crash and was captured, becoming a prisoner of war in Germany. He died on August 31, 2002, and is now buried in the McGuire Cemetery, Shell Knob, Barry County, Missouri, USA.

Source of information: ww2history.org, www.findagrave.com