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name
LECHNER, Floyd - Date of
birth
14 november 1925 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Corson County, South Dakota -
Hometown
Missoula County, Montana
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
19211160 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
20th Bombardment Squadron,
2nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
14 March 1945 - Place of
death
Tata, Hungary
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 15 | 79 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Jacob Lechner (father)
Sophia (Bertsch) Lechner (mother)
Rachel Lechner (sister)
Richard Lechner (brother)
Ernest Lechner (brother)
Leah Lechner (sister)
Albert Lechner (brother)
Raymond Lechner (brother)
Ruth Lechner (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
44-6428 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Szöny, Hungary
Mission: Bombing of the oil refinery
MACR: 12823
More information
S/Sgt Floyd Lechner attended high school for 4 years before he joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Fort Douglas, Utah on 3 January 1944.S/Sgt Alfred Novak:
"I saw B-17 No. 428 last at 1426 hours from 23,000 feet at 47.38N 18.11E where he received a direct flak hit in the number two engine, he then pulled out to the right, left the formation in flames. The A/C was then going down and at this time, I observed two chutes, after he had lost a little more altitude, I observed two more chutes, one of which was on fire. The A/C then exploded and I observed pieces of the A/C falling earthward."
Two of his brother, Albert and Raymond, also served during the war.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Carlson Family Tree, www.fold3.com, http://aircrewremembered.com/USAAFCombatOperations/Mar.45.html, www.newspapers.com - Great Falls Tribune Montana 22 February 1945
Photo source: The Missoulian 27 September 1944