World War II Honoree

Howard E. Wiegand

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Cleveland, Ohio

Honored By

Jerry Penry

RANK: PRIVATE 1ST CLASS. HE WAS A PASSENGER IN A C-53 ‘SKYTROOPER’ TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT, WHO WAS KILLED JULY 19, 1943. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AFTER ENCOUNTERING A SEVERE LIGHTING-THUNDERSTORM WITH HIGH WIND TURBULENCE IN THE VICINITY OF MALCOLM, NEBRASKA. THE TRANSPORT WAS FLYING FROM DES MOINES, IOWA TO THE ALLIANCE ARMY AIR BASE, ALLIANCE, NEBRASKA WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT THAT KILLED THIRTEEN AIRMEN HAS BEEN UNDETERMINED, BUT INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS EITHER STRUCK BY LIGHTNING, BURSTING INTO FLAMES AND CRASHING OR IT WAS FLOWN INTO THE GROUND DUE TO PILOT DISORIENTATION.