James Hannabass, Jr. served in the U.S. Army Air Force as a Second Lieutenant in the 11th Fighter Command, 15th Tow Target Squadron during World War II. He died on February 16, 1944 when the Douglas RB-18A he piloted crashed on a routine flight to Amchitka island, in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands. The last contact with the plane was from Amchitka radio at 11:45. A search was made and the wreckage was found on May 18 at the foot of Kiska volcano.