Taken from the 1981 Gray Centennial book
Virgil Book was born on March 25, 1931, to Vincent and Helga Book. He was drafted into the Marine Corps in 1952, and had his boot camp training in San Diego, California.
In the spring of 1953 he became very ill and died of cancer on April 28, 1953, while still in the Marine Corps.

Enlistment April 7, 1953
Discharge April 7, 1952

Marine Pfc. Virgil Book, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vincent and Helga Book, Gray, died of cancer April 28, 1953, at the Omaha Veterans hospital.

Funeral services for Marine Pfc. Virgil Vincent Book, 22, of Gray, who died at 5:30 o'clock yesterday at Veterans Hospital, Omaha, will be held in Manning. The time of the services has not been announced.

The body is to be taken Wednesday to the Ohde Funeral home here.

Pfc. Book had been ill for some time.

Survivors are the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Rook of Gray; three brothers, Sheldon, Irwin; Lloyd and Ronald at home; three sisters, Mrs. Cyril Goeser, Earling, Mrs. James Launderville, Vail, and Pearl, at home, a sister, Garnet, was killed by a truck in front of the farm home about 3 1/2 years ago.

Pfc. Book had been previously hospitalized at the Marine Corps Hospital at Oceanside, California. He was transferred by plane to the Omaha hospital recently.

He was born March 25, 1931, in the Poplar community in Audubon County. He graduated from Gray High School and afterwards farmed with his father until enlisting in the Marine Corps a year ago. He had been stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. He was a member of the Manning Lutheran Church.