Wayland Luther Buchholz
Military
Roy E. Guy Crew
466th BG - 787th BS
Standing Left to Right: Patrick Homentowski (TG), Melvin Demmin (R/O), Burl S. Garrett (FE), Russell Todd (BTG), Wayland Buchholz (WG), Marvin Creech (WG)
Kneeling Left to Right: Ray Brasch (N), Roy Guy (P), Allen Wiedman (B), Merl Hoyle (CP)
This crew was shot down by flak on 8 September 1944. Guy was able to affect a crash landing, which all the crew survived. All the crew were captured and made POW. 466th Bomb Group collection
Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom
Object Number - UPL 16645 - Crew #738 Roy E. Guy Crew 466th BG - 787th BS Standing Left to Right: Patrick Homentowski (TG), Melvin Demmin (R/O), Burl S. Garrett (FE),...
Prisoner of War (POW) Crashed at Wiggingen on 9/8/44 in B-24 Silent Yokum #4250581
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O 817834
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Silent Yokum
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Attlebridge Arsenal, Station 120
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
17 April 1925 | ||
|
Other Shot Down |
8 September 1944 | shot down on his 15th mission | |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
20 September 1944 - 1 June 1945 | Stalag Luft IV (Tychowo was Heyd, Germany during the war) | |
|
Died |
14 September 2005 | FOX RIVER GROVE - Wayne L. Buchholz, 80, of Fox River Grove, died Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2005, at the Veterans Hospital in North Chicago after a long illness. He was born April 17, 1925, in Chicago. He was a 1943 graduate of Lane Tech High School, where he was a member of the basketball team. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, was trained as a B-24 gunner, and served as a staff sergeant with the 466 Bomb Group during World War II, from 1943 until 1945. In 1944, on his 15th mission, he was shot down over Germany, taken prisoner for 86 days, and sent to Stalag Luft IV. That winter, the Nazis began evacuating prisoners of war from German camps as the Allies advanced. He was forced to march 600 miles through eastern Germany on the "death march," a journey he barely survived. In spring 1945, he was liberated by the Russians. His experience as a POW was included in a WBBM-TV special DVD highlighting Chicagoans during WWII, and was featured in an article in Chicago magazine and in a book, "The Last Escape: The Untold Story of Allied Forces in Europe 1944-45," which detailed the march. During imprisonment, he kept a personal diary of his daily life as a POW. Upon discharge from the Air Force, he returned to Chicago; married; and began a 34-year sales career at Addressograph-Multigraph, where he won many awards for his sales accomplishments. He also worked as a business equipment salesman at Konica and Royal Business Machines, and part time during his retirement at the local True Value hardware store. Involved in church and community activities as a youth and adult, he served on the school board and as chairman of the congregation at Grace Lutheran Church in Northbrook. He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Algonquin. He also was active in the local Republican Party during the 1960s. He enjoyed lively discussions on politics, religion and sports. A Chicago sports fan to the end, he tried out for the Chicago Cubs in Janesville, Wis., upon his return from the war. A dedicated family man, he delighted in spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. He was a gardener and worked countless hours planting flowers and tending to his lawn. His hobby earned him recognition in a local gardening contest. His many other interests and pleasures included wood finishing; reading about American history and politics; and planning for his ultimate retirement home, a log home. His moved into his log cabin in the woods in Fox River Grove in 1985. In retirement, he frequently spoke to students and groups throughout Chicago, recounting his experiences in WWII. One of his proudest moments was attending the 2004 dedication of the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C. He was a true representative of "the greatest generation," demonstrating how the sacrifice, courage, love of family and country, and strong character of an ordinary person had a deep effect on the lives he touched. He will be remembered for his kindness, optimism, generosity and good-natured spirit. He was a true gentleman and exceptional person. Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Dorothy J. (Krinker); four children, Barbara J. (Robert) Clements of Algonquin, Sharon J. (George) Hahne of Cary, Lisa G. Powell of Carpentersville and Mark P. Buchholz of Fox River Grove; and three grandchildren, Matthew Clements, Caitlin Hahne and Jordanne Powell. He also is survived by many in-laws, nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Adella (Goetz) Buchholz; and a brother, Wendell W. Buchholz. | |
|
Buried |
19 September 2005 | Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery Elwood Will County Illinois, USA Plot: Section 4 Site 976 |
Revisions
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 8611 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database