During WWII, the 399th Bombardment Group activated in March 1943 as an Operational Training Unit. It later became a Replacement Training Unit until it was disbanded in March 1944 when the units were reorganized.

The 399th Bombardment Group, activated at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona on March 1, 1943, moved to Wendover Field, Utah on April 27, and March Field, California in December of 1943. The pilots and crew flew Consolidated B-24 Liberators from 1943-1944. They later joined the 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron beginning in June of 1944. They served in India until July of 1945 and then later were stationed in China and Japan as occupation forces until 1948.

Green County bombardier Ernest J. Stauffacher served with the 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 399th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Force.

Ernest Jacob Stauffacher was born March 30, 1921 in Monroe in Green County to Ralph and Mable (Ward) Stauffacher.

From the 1930 U.S. Census, the Stauffacher family lived in Sylvester Township in Green County. The family included father Ralph, Mable, Dorothy, Gladys, Mary, and Ernest. They owned their farm, and father Ralph was a farmer in general farming.

From the 1940 U.S. Census, the Stauffacher family lived likely in the same house. Father Ralph was a farmer, daughters Dorothy and Gladys were stenographers, Mary was a waitress, and son Ernest had 4 years of high school and was a laborer in a creamery. 

On February 6, 1942, Ernest Stauffacher registered for the WWII Draft at age 20. He was unemployed and lived with his parents at Route 2 in Monroe.

On April 6, 1942, Stauffacher enlisted for service in WWII in Madison. He had two years of college and his civilian occupation was “actors and actresses.” He enlisted in the Army Air corps. 

From the May 14, 1943 Wisconsin State Journal notice titled “Stauffacher, Monroe, Becomes Bombardier,” the article from Midland, Texas stated “Ernest J. Stauffacher, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Stauffacher, Route 2, Monroe, was graduated Thursday from the Midland bombardier training center. He attended the University of Wisconsin in 1940-42.”

From the October 21, 1943 The Capital Times “Lieut. Stauffacher of Monroe Is Killed,” the article from Monroe stated “Second Lieut. Ernest J. Stauffacher of the army air corps, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Stauffacher, Route 2, Monroe, was killed Oct. 15 in Latin America, his parents were informed today by the war department. No other details were given.

A former university student, Lieut. Stauffacher entered service in March 1942 and was awarded his wings at a Texas air base last summer.”

From the October 29, 1943 Wisconsin State Journal article titled “Memorial Rites to Be Sunday for Stauffacher,” the news from Monroe was “The Rev. Alvin C. Rabehl, pastor of the Immanuel Evangelical church, Monroe, will conduct memorial services … at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Stauffacher, Route 2, for their son, Lieut. Ernest J. Stauffacher...” 

From the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Unaccounted for Remains, Group B (Unrecoverable), Ernest J. Stauffacher, from Wisconsin, served with the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II. His MIA place was the Atlantic Ocean and his death date was October 15, 1943.

A Monroe Evening Times article from May 7, 1945, the day the war in Europe ended, called “1800 from Green County Saw Service During War” wrote that “the plane Stauffacher was bombardier for crashed off the coast of South America on its way to a theater of active service.”

Second Lieutenant Ernest Jacob Stauffacher was memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial at Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia. He was listed as being Killed At Sea/ Missing In Action. He received the Purple Heart, awarded posthumously.

On his cenotaph memorial stone located in Greenwood Cemetery, Monroe, Green County, Wisconsin, his stone marker includes the information that Stauffacher served with the 605 SQD 399 GRP in WWII.

Thank you, Second Lieutenant Ernest Jacob Stauffacher, for your service to and ultimate sacrifice for this country. We honor you and remember you.