World War II Honoree

August B. Muenzer

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Toledo, Ohio

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: SERGEANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS FEBRUARY 14, 1944 AT NEWPORT, KENTUCKY. SERVED AS A B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER TAIL GUNNER, WHO EXPERIENCED COMBAT IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 862ND BOMB SQUADRON, 493RD BOMB GROUP, UNITED STATES 8TH ‘MIGHTY EIGHTH’ ARMY AIR FORCE. HIS SQUADRON WAS STATIONED AT THE DEBACH, SUFFOLK ROYAL AIR FORCE STATION ENGLAND, U.S. ARMY AIRFIELD STATION #152. CAMPAIGNS AND BATTLES: AIR OFFENSIVE EUROPE; NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE AND CENTRAL EUROPE. ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1945 HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION DURING TAKE-OFF ALONG WITH THREE OTHER CREW MEMBERS, WHEN THE ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ALTITUDE DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURE AND WENT DOWN A SHORT DISTANT FROM THE BASE. THE BOMBER, WHICH WAS FULLY LOADED WITH FUEL, BOMBS AND CHAFF, STRUCK A LARGE TREE, CAUGHT ON FIRE AND CRASHED INTO A PLOUGHED FIELD. HE WAS BURIED IN THE MORTON PARISH CEMETERY, BLACKPOOL LANCASTERSHIRE, ENGLAND. AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO HIS COUNTY AND FAMILY, WITH INTERMENT IN THE CALVARY CEMETERY, TOLEDO, OHIO.