The Lucky Lady II crew posed for a USAAF photographer at the Royal Air Force Base Snetterton Heath in Norfolk, England, on July 4, 1943 (National Archive) Staff Sgt. Donald W. Ross U.S. Army Air Corps Donald W. Ross was a World War II hero whose story got lost in a mix of family drama, estrangement, distance, and time. About 40 years ago, my grandfather Vance Ross mentioned that he hadn’t seen his younger brother since 1944. As he sat at his kitchen table in Clarksville, he talked about his little brother who had been a Prisoner of War who was eventually released from a German prison camp as part of a prisoner exchange. Don soon returned to Southwestern Pennsylvania, where he visited with some of his family members, including my grandfather. After the reunion, Don left and never contacted his family again. It has been said that Don was upset over family issues that occurred after his parents separated when he was a young boy. My grandfather asked me to help him find his brother, bu...
Family Stories & Stitching from Southwestern Pennsylvania