KILLED IN CRASH

     Mr. and Mrs. Everett Sitton of Leadwood have been receiving many letters from fellow officers of the Air Corps and one from Gen. MacArthur on the death of their son, First Lt. Rubon W. Sitton, who was killed in a plane crash on October 10 around Subic Bay near Manila.

     Lt. Sitton, commissioned as a navigator in July 1943 at the age of 17, was a high point man and had completed 42 missions with 406 combat hours to his credit. His death came after he had written his parents that he would leave the Philippines on October 15 to return home.

     After graduating from Leadwood High School in 1943, Sitton trained at Sheppard Field, Texas, Selman Field, La., and Lincoln, Neb., before receiving his wings at Gowen Field, Idaho. He was then on furlough in 1943 before reporting back for the final phases of training with a B-24 combat crew. He left for the Philippines in October, 1944 by plane.

     Lt. Sitton, who would have been 21 on Feb. 25, 1946, besides his heartbroken parents, leaves four brothers and one sister: Jimmie, Lee, and Billy, Ruth (Sitton) Glore of St. Louis and Bennie Sitton of the seabees.

Published by the LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, Fri. Nov. 9, 1945  

     Rubon W. Sitton (deceased) was a First Lieutenant in the Army Air Force, 321st BS, 90th Bomb Group in the South Pacific during World War II. He was the son of the late Everitt and Maude Sitton of Leadwood.

     "Rubon (Dolly) Sitton was a Navigator on a B-24 bomber," G. Mabel Reed said. "His plane crashed into Subic Bay off the Phillipines after the war with Japan was ended. His parents chose not to have his body returned. He is buried in Manila. He had completed 43 missions."

{The Daily Journal, St. Francois Co., Wednesday, April 26, 1995}