Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 #44-40245. Eric W Vollbrecht's last mission was 24 March 1945, but I would like to speak to his character, known to me from my father's experience while serving in the US Army during WWII.



Roger T Fischer, my dad, was in a military hospital in England due to frozen feet, incurred while fighting in Belgium, January 17, 1945. He awoke to find Eric standing at the foot of his bed. Eric and Roger had grown up together; lifelong school mates, attended the same church, graduated from high school and met up on leave from the military, February, 1944 in their home town of Sheboygan, Wisconsin.



"We had 12 swell years of school, let's hope we have that the rest of our lives" was the remembrance Eric left in Roger's Central High School, 1942 Lake Breeze Yearbook.



How Eric located Roger in England, and the military hospital I do not know. Eric took dad out of the hospital, which was probably difficult as he was on crutches, down to Ipswich and on to London. There they visited the American Red Cross-at Piccadilly Circus, and went on a taxi tour; St. Paul's Cathedral and Madame Tussaud's Exhibition were a few of the sites taken in. Later, Eric returned Roger to the hospital. Before leaving, he and dad agreed he would return the next weekend, and they would continue to tour London.



Eric did not return on the next weekend, and dad was notified by mail by Eric's sister, LaVerne, that his B-24 bomber did not return from its mission over Germany.



Dad rarely talked about Eric, but I think the friendship explains his faithful and devoted volunteering for the Disabled American Veterans and Bethlehem Church activities.



Details of the weekend became clear to me when my brother give me the scrapbook, my grandmother had kept of her son's military experience, after dad passed away in 2009.



Eric is buried in Wildwood Cemetery, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA, next to his parents.