Samuel Martin Bruce (1915 - 1944)

Born 7 Dec 1915 in Crockett, Texas, United States

Husband of Grace (Foy) Bruce — married 10 Jan 1941 in Reidsville, Rockingham, North Carolina, United States

Died 27 Jan 1944 at age 28 in Nettuno, Roma, Lazio, Italy

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Biography

Lt Samuel Bruce was Killed in Action during World War II.

Samuel Bruce is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army Air Force 99th Fighter Squadron 1942-1944
Tuskegee Airman flying Ace

Samuel Bruce was awarded the Purple Heart.

Samuel was born in 1915, in Crockett, Texas, to Samuel Bruce and his wife, Martha.^[1] He moved with his parents to Seattle, Washington, when he was 10 years old. His father passed in 1927, and his mother remarried Henry Davis. He was living with Henry and Martha in 1930. Sam attended Garfield High School where he was recognizes as being an outstanding athlete. Upon graduation, he attended the Agricultural and Technical College at Greensboro, NC. He was named All-Coloredo Intercollegiate Athletic Association quarterback.^[2]

On Jan 10, 1941, Samuel married Grace Foy in Rockingham, North Carolina. ^[3] That same year, , he joined the army and attended pilot training at the Tuskegee Flying School in Alabama. He received his commission as 2nd lieutenant on Sep 5, 1942. ^[4]He was sent overseas with the 99th Pursuit Squadron in 1943, originally stationed in North Africa, then moved to Italy in 1944. While he was stationed overseas, his wife gave birth to their daughter, Barbara, in Dec of 1943. He would never live to see his only child.

Samuel succesfully completed 56 missions and was scheduled to go home on Jan 28, 1944. The day prior, he was on a strafing mission and flying over Nettuno Beach area when he was killed in aerial combat with enemy FW-190s. He bailed out of his plane, but his parachute did not fill. ^[5]. Samuel was buried in a temporary American Cemetery in Italy until 1948, when his family requested that his remains be sent home. A funeral was held July 31, 1948 in Seattle, WA.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCSQ-SHH : accessed 10 April 2021), Sam Bruce in household of Sam Bruce, Houston, Harris, Texas, United States; citing , sheet , line , family , NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll ; FHL microfilm .
2. ↑ Seattle DailyTimes, 29 Jul 1948, pg. 27.
3. ↑ "North Carolina Marriages, 1759-1979", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZ1X-GM5 : 14 February 2020), Samuel Martin Bruce Jr, 1941.
4. ↑ Seattle Daily Times 2 Mar 1944, pg. 5.
5. ↑ 99th Fighter Squadron history, Nov 1943-Jan 1944