Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

[aaatripp]

To remember this sad day, with reverence & respect, when Capt. Wallace N. "Bud" Emmer, USAAF died at Dulag Luft Wetzlar, POW camp in Germany. He was leaving the camp on his way to the hospital in Hohemark when an air raid took place. It was at this moment that Bud, in the company of RAF Bomber Command Halifax navigator Leonard A. Walker, succumbed to myocarditis in his weakened conditions from the burns he received in the explosion of his P-51D "Arson's Reward" FT-G near Rouen, France. A lucky 88mm round caught RED ONE (attack element leader) just after they had changed altitude.

Len Walker always remembered the unknown "kriege" who died in his arms and the Emmer family had been looking for him for many years (since 1991). We are grateful for locating Len's dear daughter Tiana who has been very helpful to us in researching the events of this day....71 years ago. The only way that we could confirm the connection was the letter from Sr. Allied POW Col. Charles W. Stark, USAAF who wrote to Bud's parents on Feb. 18, 1945 to relay details of Bud's passing.

Remembering Bud & Len....comrades in arms. 'Lest We Forget......

Tripp

[aaatripp]

Remembering once again this day 72 years ago when Bud's Mustang FT-G "Arson's Reward" was hit by groundfire from a German 88mm AA gun. He
got out of his burning P-51 and parachuted to safety but was badly burned on the legs & arms in the explosion of his fuselage fuel tank.

Bud was captured and moved from camp to camp.

Remembering, with sadness the loss to his parents Blanche & Viv Emmer.
Honoring their sacrifice...the loss of both of their sons in WWII service.

Tripp

[aaatripp]

Remembering, with sadness Nov. 18, 1944. Capt. Wallace N. Emmer, USAAF had been shot down on 9 Aug and was a kriegegefange in a POW camp in Germany. On Nov. 18th, Bud's younger brother, Ray, was with his unit in Germany, just a short distance inside the German-Belgian border in the woods west of the town of Udenbreth.

According to his buddy & trenchmate, William B. Williams, Ray was outside the trench when German mortar shells descended on their 30-cal machine gun position. Ray was hit by shrapnel as a fragment pierced his left thigh. Williams hauled him back into the trench but Ray only gave a brief groan and was gone....in those dark hours in enemy territory....on his brother, Bud's, birthday. A letter from my grandmother to my uncle relayed the word to him while he was also in the air service and the tragedy was confirmed.....

Both boys would be "brought home" later and buried in the family plot in St. Louis.....the parents, Viv and Blanche Emmer lost both of their boys in WWII.......they are still dearly missed by their family.

Tripp