Fred L. Staub was born on May 30, 1917 in Decatur, Indiana. His parents were Sylvester and Rosa Staub. He lived at 107 North Fifth St. and attended Decatur Catholic High School, which is now Saith Joseph Catholic School, and graduated in 1935. After high school, Fred became a skilled meat cutter working around the Decatur area. When World War II rolled around, Fred enlisted October 24, 1941 into the Army Air Corps. Fred was placed in the Army Air Force 8th Division 754th Company 458th Unit. The 458th Bombardment group was an Eighth Air Force B-24 Liberator unit stationed in England. Assigned to RAF Horsham St. Faith during World War II, the group flew 240 missions losing 47 total aircraft in combat. The 458th Bombardment groups’ first action was on February 24th and 25th as a diversionary unit that led away German fighters from high value targets. The groups’ first bombing mission was on March 2, 1944, and afterward attacked German oil refineries and air fields. After D-Day, the group aided the Allied military movement through France by bombing bridges and German supply lines. It is on one of these missions that 2nd Lt. Fred L. Staub disappeared. His remains were never recovered. For his service, Lt. Staub earned the American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Purple Heart, and the Air Medal for meritorious service in aerial flight. Information collected and researched by Garrett Schieferstein, 2014.
Indiana Historical Bureau, comp. Gold Star Honor Roll: Adams County. Bloomington: Indiana War History Commission, 1949. Print. Vol. 1 of Indiana in World War II.
"Fred L. Staub." American Battle Momuments Comission. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.http://www.abmc.gov/search-abmc-burials-and-memorializations/detail/WWII_32239#.VH9iT9q9KSM
"Fred L. Staub." Ancient Faces. N.p., 1999. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.http://www.ancientfaces.com/person/fred-l-staub/158446130.
"Fred L. Staub." Find a Grave. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=68500192.
"Fred Staub." Bill Biegel WWII Researcher. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.