TRUEMPER, WALTER E. - Medal of Honor Recipient
Rank and organization:
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps. 510th
Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomber Group. Place and date: Over Europe, 20 February
1944. Entered service at: Aurora, Ill. Birth: 31 October 1918, Aurora, Ill.
G.O. No.: 52, 22 June 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the
enemy in connection with a bombing mission over enemy-occupied Europe on
20 February 1944. The aircraft on which 2d Lt. Truemper was serving as
navigator was attacked by a squadron of enemy fighters with the result
that the copilot was killed outright, the pilot wounded and rendered unconscious,
the radio operator wounded and the plane severely damaged Nevertheless,
2d Lt. Truemper and other members of the crew managed to right the plane
and fly it back to their home station, where they contacted the control
tower and reported the situation. 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer volunteered
to attempt to land the plane. Other members of the crew were ordered to
jump, leaving 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer aboard. After observing
the distressed aircraft from another plane, 2d Lt. Truemper's commanding
officer decided the damaged plane could not be landed by the inexperienced
crew and ordered them to abandon it and parachute to safety. Demonstrating
unsurpassed courage and heroism, 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer replied
that the pilot was still alive but could not be moved and that they would
not desert him. They were then told to attempt a landing. After 2 unsuccessful
efforts their plane crashed into an open field in a third attempt to land.
2d Lt. Truemper, the engineer, and the wounded pilot were killed.
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