During a troop movement from Qinhuangdao to Tianjin on July 29, 1937, Stilwell's unit came into contact with a battle between Chinese and Japanese forces.

Major William F. Lee, First Lieutenant Stilwell and four of their men each received the Soldier's Medal for protecting the unit and its equipment from injury and damage.

[2] During World War II, Stilwell served in the China Burma India Theater, earning his first awards of the Legion of Merit and the Air Medal.

[4] Stilwell was lost at sea on July 25, 1966, when flying a C-47 to Hawaii with longtime friend and pilot Hal Grimes of Air Ferry International.

The Coast Guard, USAF and US Navy (including three destroyers and the USS Yorktown) searched an area of 105,000 square miles (270,000 km2) without finding any trace of the aircraft.