Henry J. Stryker
Survived by Kimberly Stryker
Henry J. Stryker was born on August 26, 1917, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. His father was 43 and his mother, Fannie, was 35. He had one brother and two sisters. One sister, Henrietta, was born in 1924 when Henry was seven years old.
On January 15, 1942, Mr. Stryker enlisted in the military. He was assigned to a ground crew which serviced the 337th Bomb Squadron, home of the Rum Boogie crew.
On February 9, 1946, he married Pauline Wagner; they had four children. He and his wife lived in Imlay City, Michigan all of their lives.
Mr. Stryker worked as a substation operator for 21 years, retiring in 1979. He was a life member of the VFW and American Legion. He was also a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
One of Mr. Stryker's children, a son named Donn, died in 1955. His wife Pauline passed away on March 21, 1989, and Henry died in 1992 when he was 74 years old.
Another son, Jerry, died on September 2, 2016, at the age of 66. Jerry served in the United States Marine Corp from 1968-1969 during the Vietnam War. His life-long community volunteer service included stints as a funeral honor guard, an adjutant for the American Legion, as well as many other civic duties.
Four Ground Crew Members in front of Rum Boogie IV.
Items above and below from Mr. Stryker's personal collection of memorabilia.
337th Squadron Engineering Group
