Truman Steele was born 11 Jul 1917 in Oklahoma to Giles Emery & S. "Libbie" Wherry Steele . By 1935 the family was living in Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., Ar. On Dec 10, 1937 Truman and Mary Helen Van Slyke have a license to marry in Minnesota. Truman lists his location as Fort Snelling and Mary Helen was living at Knapp, Wis. Mary Helen was born in Canada. In 1940 Truman and Helen are living in Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., Ar and have a daughter 1 yr old. I find a couple more marriages and divorce for Truman and Ruby Jane Horton & Ruby Jane Moore. Truman's residence for these events was Fort Smith, in 1942 and 1943. Truman registered for the draft 16 Oct 1940 in Fort Smith Ar. He joined the USNR. His rank was Aviation Ordnance man Second Class. AOM2c Truman Steele was officially reported to be Missing in Action as of 13 January, 1944, when the plane in which he was flying, a unit of Bombing Squadron 109, failed to return from a routine patrol in the Gilbert Islands, Kiribati. His presumption of death was recorded on January 14, 1946. He has a marker at Honolulu, Hawaii. VPB-109 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Bombing Squadron 109 (VB-109) on 2 August 1943, redesignated as Patrol Bombing Squadron 109 28 December 1943 – 13 January 1944: The squadron was transferred to Apamama, Gilbert Islands and conducted its first combat patrol on 31 December 1943. On 1 January 1944, Lieutenant John F. Bundy made the squadron’s first kill, sinking a 2,000-ton cargo vessel near Mille. The squadron’s arrival was greeted the next evening by an enemy air raid that destroyed one aircraft, damaged two others and wounded three personnel. Throughout the month of January the squadron continued attacks on enemy shipping with good results; dropped mines at Maloelap Atoll, Wotje and Kwajalein; and served as fighter escort for photographic planes from VD-3 on low-level missions. On 13 January 1944, Lieutenant Samuel E. Coleman and his crew failed to return from a patrol. Dec 10. 1937 Minneapolis Star Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Unaccounted-for Remains Full Name Steele, Truman Series Title Unaccounted-for Remains, Group B, 1941-1975 Conflict World War II Death Date 13 Jan 1944 Branch United States Navy Mia Place Pacific Ocean Mia Place Alias Gilbert Islands