Theodore George Grier Jr.

ENSIGN THEODORE GRIER grew up at 517 Newton Avenue in Oaklyn NJ. He attended grade school in Oaklyn, and was a 1938 graduate of Collingswood (NJ) High School. He attended Drexel Institute in Philadelphia PA, and worked in the drafting room at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden NJ. Before entering the Navy, he also had qualified as a civilian pilot.

In February of 1943 he entered the Navy Air Corps. While in the Navy, he initially trained at Prescott AZ. He received his pre-flight training at Pasco WA, and his advanced training at Corpus Christi TX. He later served at Kansas City KS, Banana River FL, and San Diego CA. On April 12, 1944 he Elizabeth Jean Clugston, of Philadelphia. 

Ensign Grier shipped out for the Pacific Theater in April of 1945. He earned the Air Medal for flying patrol bomber missions over Hammanoko and Hammamatau on May 10th and May 18th, 1945. He was killed in action when his B-24 was downed on a mission to Tokyo over Honshu on June 29, 1945. His body and the remains of two other crewmembers were returned to the United States in August of 1949, and they were interred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on September 1, 1949.

Besides the Air medal and the Purple Heart, Ensign Greer was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory medal. He was survived by his wife, an older sister, Estella Grier, and a brother, Robert, who served in the Army Air Force as a fighter pilot.

About the loss of Ensign Grier's aircraft
from www.vpnavy.com

MISHAPs: 29 JUN 45 A/C: PB4Y-1 LOCATION: Empire Patrol based out of Iwo Jima TYPE: Ditch in ocean SRIKE: Yes DEATHS: xx BUNO: 90482 CAUSE: Unknown Contributed by James C Sawruk jsawruk@juno.com via George B. Winter pbycat@juno.com [20JAN98]

"...My brother (S. L. Vaughan, Jr.) was lost on VP-116's Mission 29 June 29, 1945. They were based out of Iwo Jima. His crew consisted of Gerberding (Pilot), Chicirda, Gallagher, Goereing, Grier, Levitt, Middleton, Mitchell, Odelberg, Pierson, Simon and Zutter. The Japs recovered 3 remains of the crew. They are buried in the St. Louis National Cemetary. Thanks for keeping the memory of these gallant men alive...Robert Vaughan <vaughanchar@msn.com..." [26NOV2000]

MISHAP Information: "...I took a quick look at my PB4Y losses for WW II and can confirm thank BUAERNO. 90482 was a PB4Y-1 assigned to VPB-116. It was lost on 29 June 1945 while on an Empire Patrol based out of Iwo Jima. The crew was listed as missing with a LCDR. J. Gerberding as PPC..." Contributed by James C Sawruk jsawruk@juno.com via George B. Winter pbycat@juno.com[20JAN98]

August 27, 1949

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