Bruce David Gribben was born in Indianapolis, IN on May 22, 1920 at the home of his grandfather David Sharpe Gribben. His parents were Jessie Alice (Dearmin) Gribben and James Collins Gribben.He graduated from Miami Senior High School in Miami, Florida in January 1940, entered the Army shortly after Pearl Harbor, January 2, 1942. He was transferred to the Army Air Force and graduated in the class of 43K as a Flight Officer, going overseas to North Africa in April 1943. He was assigned to the 319th Medium Bomb Group, 439th Bomb Squadron, with the 12th Air Force, flying B-26's (the Martin Marauder) as pilot and co-pilot. He was shot down by an ME109, while returning from a bomb run at Salerno, Italy and was a German POW from August 22, 1943 until April 29, 1945, serving most of that time at Stalag Luft 3.Following his release, he married Betty Lou Ries in Angola, Indiana, graduated from Purdue University in 1945 as a Metallurgical Engineer and was employed by Delco Remy Division of General Motors in Anderson, IN from July 1949 until his retirement in July 1981. His daughter Lizann Ruth Gribben was born June 25, 1947 in Lafayette, IN and his son Bruce David Gribben, Jr. was born October 18, 1950 and adopted on August 26, 1951. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Anderson, and was active in the Madison County Red Cross, serving as Disaster Chairman for many years. This was his way of repaying the Red Cross for the food parcels he received as a POW. Sailing was his hobby and he owned two sailboats, an Inland Cat named "First Love" and a 22ft. South Coast cabin sailer named "First Love 2", sailing them on Lake James and later Lake Wawasee, both in Indiana.Bruce was a healthy, active man, until he was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia in June 1983 and spent over a year in treatment. He developed bone cancer in July 1984 and died September 18, 1984. He was survived by his widow, his daughter and son and three grandchildren; Ann E. Gibson, James W. Gibson, children of Lizann and James Gibson, and Carey Ann Gribben, daughter of David (Bruce Jr.)