Captain Lee Arthur Silbo USAAF

Lee Arthur Silbo was born October 25, 1920 to Mr and Mrs LA Silbo of Farmington NM. After graduating from Farmington HS he enrolled at NMAMC in the fall of 1938 and in May 1942 he was awarded his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Following graduation he volunteered for duty in the USAAF. In October of 1942 he was called to active duty and sent to Lowry Field CO for training as an armaments officer. Following training in April 1943 he was assigned to the 704th Bomb Squadron, 39th Bomb Group, then assembling at Davis Monthan Field in Tucson AZ. This unit flew B-24 bombers. In October 1943 the group arrived at Bungay England. They would operate out of this field for the duration of the war. In June 1945, following the cessation of hostilities in Europe, the unit was recalled to the states for repositioning in the pacific. On June 17 1945, Captain Silbo and 14 other crew members and passengers was aboard B-24J #42-110018, one of 6300 tactical aircraft being ferried back across the Atlantic when bad weather and engine trouble forced the craft down in 25 foot seas approximately mid way between Wales and Lajes Field in the Azores. There is evidence that the crew was able to inflate life boats, but despite an intensive ten day search, no further sign was found of the men aboard the plane. Captain Lee Arthur Silbo is today memorialized at the Tablet of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery. He was 24 years of age at the time of his death.