Clinton A Gruber

Clint Joined the AAC 14 March, 1942 from Portland Oregon.

Lt Clint Gruber was a B-24 Liberator Pilot for the 93rd Bomb Group, 329th Bomb Squadron, The MIGHTY 8th Air Force !

  He and his crew were shot-down in B-24 D  #42-40769 the "Iron Ass".   He flew as Co-Pilot that day and of his Crew of 10, only one man died "S/Sgt Harry E Beyerman" Tail-Gunner.  Clint's MIA went to his Father, Mr Peter A Gruber, Silver Lake, Oregon.

  He would later find that Clint had survived the Bail-out and was in Stalag Luft 1.

Clint would make his Career in Broadcasting and was the Director of OMSI, a Science Museum.  He was in the Reserves for some of his duty and did retire as a Lt Col.

 Clint is a friend of James H Sharp, Jr.    James' Dad/James Sharp, Sr. was also in the 329th Bomb Squadron, flying in the B-24 Minerva.  James and his new "pal" Clint meet for breakfast each Tuesday at 10 AM at Tom's Pancake House.   James is learning a lot about WWII and what his Dad might have seen and done in the B-24 out of England.  This is a great new shared friendship, both are enjoying their time together.

    Someone once said that everything comes full circle.... as an Historical Researcher for WWII, in the 57th Bomb Wing, [and Historian for my Dad/Edward Ennis' 321st Bomb Group/B-25's MTO]    I continue to be amazed at how much unity there is now still.             Personally, I think of the Doolittle Raiders as individual people, but that's because I know 1st hand some absolutely true stories that are as human as they can be. . . most people think of "The RAIDERS" and the *Legend", Jimmy Doolittle himself !  One of the tallest Raiders in the batch, Travis Hoover was the (Ah ?) *Maid of Honor* to Lorraine as she wed (Ret. Col.) Bill Bower just prior to the Raid.  Col Harvey Hinman was Bower's best man and Godfather to their son, Jimmy.  Doolittle only knew friends.  THAT was Jimmy Doolittle !

    Jimmy himself was a brilliant man, in my research, I discovered that very early on as he 'all-of-a-sudden'  lost a hand-full of his Men, he yanked them all off Flight Status, promoting them up to where they would be the *True-Leaders* that they were destined to be, and safe.  We needed quality, and Leadership borne of voluntairly going on a dangerous Mission blindly by trusting your leader. . . not THAT is how leaders are born.

   Destiny, not something we have much control of, unless you consider 'good choices'. . . . Jimmy Doolittle's GOOD CHOICES of his men was uncanny.... not one walked away and not all lived to tell the story. 

  Ret Col Clint Gruber was a friend of Doolittle, I imagine that we shall never know just how many friends he had, but we do know that they were themselves heroic and dependible.... HISTORY has proven this. 

Barbi Ennis Connolly,  WWII Historical Researcher and Historian for herDad/T/Sgt Ed Ennis (194-2005)  321st Bomb Group, B-25 Mitchells /MTO 1943-44