Ens. Earl Otis Krieg was born in Forest Park, Illinois, on September 10, 1918, to Earl C. Krieg and Elsie L. Felgner-Krieg, and had three brothers and a sister. His family resided at 1130 Ferdinand Avenue in Forest Park. He was a 1936 graduate of Proviso Township High School. After high school, he went to the University of Illinois and received a Bachelor of Science degree business and commerce in 1941. While he was in college on October 16, 1940, he registered with Selective Service when the draft act became law and named his mother as his contact person.
While he was still in school, he joined the Naval Reserve and in April 1941, he enlisted in the US Navy and received the serial number 12 131. It is known, in no particular order, that he trained in Saint Louis, Missouri, San Diego Naval Air Station, Miami Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, and Pensacola Naval Air Station. By 1943, he was stationed at the Puunene Naval Air Station, Maui, Hawaiian Islands, as an ensign.
On April 13, 1943, while on a routine gunnery practice flight off Maui at about 9:45 am his plane – an F4F-4, Builders Number 01996 – vanished. Search parties were sent out, including a planes from VF-11 Fighter Squadron but the planes pilots saw no wreckage. He was declared missing the same day. On November 19, 1943, he was declared dead. After the war. Ens. Earl O. Krieg’s name was placed added to the Courts of the Missing in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific – which is also known as the Punch Bowl – Honolulu, Hawaii.
