His father was an attorney and on the University of Omaha board of regents. His mother was a graduate of Northwestern University. His brother was also a graduate of Northwestern and attending law school at Michigan when he enlisted. Sister Barbara would attend the University of Nebraska. This is a family that valued education and it is certain that James would have had a high education had he survived the war.
James went into the service almost directly out of high school after spending only 1-year at Yale University, overseas with the 29th Division and was assigned to K Company 116th Infantry. He participated in the D-Day landing, was promoted to PFC on 1 Jul 1944. He was wounded and went to hospital on 11 Jul 1944 (near St. Lo). On 28 Oct 1944 he was returned to the unit from the replacement depot. While he was missing in action for a time it was later determined that he had been killed in a German minefield on 5 Dec 1944.
His brother, mentioned in the article, was an actor who enlisted in Washington, D.C. giving his home state as Indiana.
PFC Stryker is buried in Netherlands American Cemetery.
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