449th Airman Completes Long Journey Home

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti — After an 80-year recovery effort a 449th Airman, U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Given C. Grooms, was returned home and laid to rest Oct. 10, 2026, in Waverly, Ohio.
Grooms, of Spargursville, Ohio, served as a radio operator with the 718th Bombardment Squadron, 449th Bombardment Group, during World War II. While returning from a mission to Udine, Italy his B-24 Liberator was shot down Jan. 30, 1944. Initial recovery efforts began in 1946, temporarily ending in a non-recoverable declaration in 1949.
After receiving information about a possible crash site, historians belonging to a Defense POW/MIA Accounting predecessor organization reopened the investigation in 2010, ultimately leading to Grooms being officially accounted for by the DPAA on June 9, 2026. Bringing his family the long-awaited answer to a loss that began more than eight decades earlier.
“Staff Sgt. Grooms’ return home is a long-overdue moment of honor for his family, his community and the 449th,” said Col. Andrew Saylor, 449th Air Expeditionary Group commander. “The Airmen of today’s 449th are proud to carry forward Staff Sgt. Grooms’ legacy. Our mission has evolved across generations, but his example of service and sacrifice continues to remind us of the responsibility we have to one another, to our mission and to the nation we serve.”
Grooms served with the historic 449th Bombardment Group, a World War II predecessor organization associated with today’s 449th Air Expeditionary Group. During World War II, the 449th flew B-24 combat missions from Italy in support of Allied operations across Europe. Today, the 449 AEG continues that legacy of operational support through a new focus. Providing airlift, personnel recovery, force protection and expeditionary support that enable joint and coalition operations across East Africa.
“Grooms’ return brings the 449th’s World War II history into the present for our Airmen today,” said Saylor. “His return and his unit’s achievements set the standard, providing a direct connection to the service and sacrifice of those who carried the 449th designation before them.”
While the missions and impact of commands evolve the core remains the same, the skilled Airmen who operate in challenging and dynamic environments to make things happen. Grooms’ homecoming reflects the enduring commitment of the Department of War to all Americans serving their country: past, present and future. A unit’s mission may change, but support of our troops will remain steadfast and ever growing.

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