Staff Sergt. James A. Cruise

May 3, 1917 - Sep 2, 1944

Mrs. Alma S. West Washington been notified by ment that her husband, Sergt. James A. Cruise, aged 29, missing in action since Sept. 2, 1944, has officially been declared dead, The former air force cryptographer has been missing since he participated in mission over China in a B-29. The plane was over province in southwestern when it was last heard from, according to the war department telegram.

Sergt. Cruise was employed by the Bendix division when he enservice in early 1942. He was assigned to India in November, 1943, and was still based there when last heard from by his wife.

Mrs. Cruise is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur .A. Schellinger, of 626 West Colfax avenue. Among the sergeant's survivors are his mother, Mrs. Charles Cruise, of 1221 North Wilber street; a sister, Mrs. Albert Andrews, of Cleveland, O., and a brother, Kenneth Cruise, of South Bend

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A United States army search deep in the interior of China for a wild tribe's white slaves believed to be lost American airmen has rekindled a spark of hope in a South Bend family that their soldier son may be alive. Staff Sergt. James A. Cruise, 28, of 626 West Colfax avenue, a radioman, was lost early in September, 1944, in a flight over the "Hump" from India into China. Last spring he was officially declared dead by the war department. With reports of white men held in the interior of China, however, Sergt. Cruise's wife, mother, father-in-law and mother-in-law have regained lagging confidence that the South Bend soldier is still alive. The plane in which. he was flying was last seen over Talifur, in China. death was never definitely established.

Mrs. Anna M. the sergeant's mother, lives at 1136 Diamond avenue. His wife, Alma, a private secretary at the Studebaker corporation, resides with her parents, Mr, and Mrs. Arthur Schellinger, at the Colfax avenue address. Mr. Schellinger said the family had enlisted the aid of Congressman Robert A. Grant, now in South Bend, in urging the government to make a thorough search of the Chinese back country for the missing men. Yesterday an army search team plunged into China's wild and mountainous far west seeking white persons believed to be lost American airmen feared captives of the fierce slave-holding Lolo tribe.

Sources: Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com

12/23/2025 EJS