World War II Honoree

Robert Fenstermacher

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: First Lieutenant. He was inducted into the United States Army July 25, 1942 at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. After the completion of Boot Camp, he was accepted into the Flight Aviation Training Program. Served in the European Theater of Operations as a P-47D ‘Thunderbolt’ Fighter Pilot, and based at the Chippelle Airfield, France. He was assigned to the 506th Fighter Squadron, 404th Fighter Group; United States Ninth Army Air Force. Reported missing in action Tuesday, December 26, 1944 during an armed-reconnaissance mission against targets in Germany, when his aircraft crashed, near Petergensfeld, Belgium. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands. Later his missing in action status was amended to read killed in action December 27, 1945. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, a Quartermaster Graves Registration Company, Quartermaster Corps conducted Recovery operations in Petergensfeld, and his remains were not recovered. In 2012 the History Flight a private organization, excavated a private yard in Petergensfeld, recovering remains, aircraft wreckage consistent with a P-47D, and other artifacts. The remains were transferred to the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska were he was identified. The family of this Airman received his remains for burial. He was laid to rest with Military Honors, October 18, 2013 at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. This American Patriot received the following decorations posthumously: Air Medal with nine oak leaf clusters and the Purple Heart. The Air medal awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight and the Purple Heart was awarded, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.