Master Sergeant Gross was a crew member of a C-47D Skytrain transport with the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, "Kyushu Gypsies," 374th Troop Carrier Wing. On 30 April 1951, while on a leaflet dropping mission along the Seoul to Wonsan highway, contact was lost after a transmission from 50 miles South of Wonsan. He was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on 31 January 1954. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Master Sergeant Gross was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.