Robert C Behling
From: Waukesha, Waukesha County, Wisconsin
War: World War I
Service Branch: Army
Rank: Private
Casualty Type: Died of Disease
Notable Awards: ★ World War I Victory Medal
Robert C Behling was serving his country during World War I when he gave his all in the line of duty. He had enlisted in the United States Army. Behling had the rank of Private.
According to our records Wisconsin was his home or enlistment state and Waukesha county has been included within the archival record. We have Waukesha listed as his city. During his service in World War I, Army Private Behling developed an illness or serious health threat which ultimately resulted in loss of life.
Source: Honor States: https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/573592/
American Legion Post 296 Research Notes:
December 19th, 1918 – Brookfield Community shocked and grieved to hear the Death in France on November 25th, of Robert C. BEHLING Jr. He was mustered into his country’s service on May 29th, as a volunteer in the Motor Transport Corps. He was sent to Camp Grant, but left in two weeks for Camp Johnstone, Florida, where he remained in training until September 1st. He was then transferred to Newport News, Virginia, the embarkation point, and sailed about September 8th, for France. He had refused the post on Military Police at Camp Johnstone for the duration of the war, preferring to serve his country at the battle front. He gave up his young life 14 days after the armistice was signed. He died of pneumonia at the age of 22 years, 10 months, and 14 days, and lies among the brave and true in France.
Funeral services will be held as soon as the remains can be brought home from France.
August 6th, 1921 – The body of Private Robert C. BEHLING, who was with the 327th Field Remount Squadron, and who died at Fort Bizier, (Believed to be Saint Dizier Airfield) France, November 25th, 1918, is expected to arrive in Milwaukee today. Funeral Services will be held on Sunday afternoon, August 7th, at 2 o’clock, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. BEHLING, on Blue Mound Road, R. 6. After which, there will be services in St. John’s Lutheran Church, in Wauwatosa. This will be a military funeral under the direction of the American Legion. Internment is to be at the Wauwatosa Cemetery.
August 12th, 1921 – “Waukesha veteran buried with honors” article. Served in the Argonne sector until shortly before the armistice, when he took sick with pneumonia and died November 25th, 1918, at the base hospital 41 (Could be Saint-Denis), Saint-Dizier Airfield, France.
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Jack A. Kutchera
Pacific Theater
S/N: O-806699 (?)
Rank: 1st Lieutenant (2nd Lt. at time of being shot down).
Wife: Irma A. Kutchera of Milwaukee, WI.
Of Peruaukee, WI.
Died: Feb. 19, 1945
Buried with 8 other members of the crew at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Saint Louis, MO.
He was in Squadron F at Douglas. He had Basic at Shaw Field. He was in the 500th Bomb Gp, 882nd Bomb Sqdn. On Feb. 19, 1945, he was co-pilot on a B-29 (S/N: 43-63494) with a crew of 11 on a bombing mission on Tokyo. The plane was attacked by fighters, and some of the crew bailed out. Kutchera was MIA but eventually declared dead. Below is a statement by Melvin L. Johnston, a radar operator on the flight:
On 19 Feb 1945 while on a bombardment mission to Tokyo, our aircraft, a B-29, was attacked by Japanese fighters which, on the first pass, set fire to our bomb bay tanks. Further attacks shot our upper forward turret out of operation, severed our controls to the tail of the plane, released our pressure in the cabin and sent explosive bullets into other parts of our plane. At that time, Sgt. Harry McGrath was wounded and came to my compartment for treatment. At that moment the alarm bell rang and I opened the escape doors. Returning to the compartment the interphone was apparently dead. By that time the plane was going down and apparently no member of the crew was seriously injured. Sgt. McGrath had a flesh wound in the leg. Sgt. Harry Tompson and Sgt. Eugene Gilbreath were without injury. Our plane was full of smoke but as Sgt. McGrath and I bailed out, the other gunners appeared to be coming to the escape door. We have never seen any of the other crew members since then. A Japanese interpreter told me that the plane crashed in the suburbs of Tokyo with all the other members aboard. However, I believe there is little truth in this statement.
I have seen and talked to nearly all B-29 men who survived the period of solitary confinement and none ever heard of our crew members.
Signed Melvin L. Johnston
16025342 AAC Proj R.
Source: MACR (Missing Air Crew Report): #12250
Source: https://wwiiflighttraining.org/Cadets/Class1943/1943F/Kutchera_Jack.php
American Legion Post 296 Research Notes:
Remains recovered in 1949