Walter L. Wegner
2nd Lt. Walter L. Wegner
Navigator - Poston Crew
9th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group, 10th Air Force.
-=-=-=-=-
November 28, 1924 - April 24, 2019
Walter L. Wegner left his earthly bounds and flew to the big hangar in the sky where all military aviators go. Son of Walter and Dorothea Boynton Wegner and survived by his loving wife of 73 years, Maxine Christy Wegner. Children, Karen Sturges, Cynthia Johnson, Cheryl Venger, Walter L. Wegner Jr. and seven grandchildren. Born in Whittier, CA, where he lived his early years. At 15 the new Eagle Scout met the love of his life while at Huntington Beach, Maxine Christy, 14. He attended Whittier High where he lettered in polo and wrestling. Upon graduation he attended University of California Berkeley and completed most of his freshman year before Uncle Sam called him for duty in WWII. He entered the Army Air Corps in May 1943 and graduated a 2nd Lt. Navigator in May, 1944. On May 23 he became engaged to Maxine Christy. Followed by crew training in B-24 bombers and assignment to the China, Burma, India theater he flew 54 missions over Burma and Siam. He returned home in late 1945 where he and Maxine were married on 15 November, 1945. Walter remained in service in what would be known as the USAF and was assigned to B-29 bombers for four years including seven months in Japan flying 54 bombing missions over N. Korea. This was followed by four years flying B-36 bombers during the Cold War. He was assigned to Spain for 3 years followed by two years at Vandenberg AFB, CA, where he held several staff assignments and retired from the USAF in June 1967 as Lt. Col. His awards consist of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters, Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and numerous Campaign Medals. He flew over 5200 hours with 800 hours of combat time. He was a proud member of the Greatest Generation. He spent 22 years in the aerospace industry in various management positions and retired in 1989. Walter was an avid gardener and active in several organizations including the Woodland Hills Community Church where he and Maxine were members for over 50 years.
Published by Los Angeles Times from Apr. 30 to May 5, 2019.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/walter-wegner-obituar…
"ANOTHER BIRD STORY
In the spring of 1945, I was navigator on Virgil Poston's B-24 crew in the 9th Bomb Squadron of the 7th Bomb Group at Pandaveswar. We were no longer able to fly bombing missions due to the monsoons and we were moving to Tezpur in Assam province. We hauled much equipment to the new base in our B-24's with minimal crew. I had made several trips with my own crew and other crews.
On the 6th of June (according to my Form 5), I was returning to Panda (Pandaveswar) with a crew other than my own and as we approached the base I was standing between the pilot and co-pilot pointing out the field when we saw several condors or large buzzards out in front of us. As we watched, one bird kept coming toward us and hit our front Plexiglas window and shattered it into a million pieces. The bird hit me in the face and knocked me back to the buckhead. Luckily for me, the hatch to the bomb bay was closed. I looked a mess I am sure, with the bird's blood and guts all over my face, stunned but still conscious.
We landed immediately and they hauled me off in the ambulance to the squadron medical facility where they cleaned me up and put a patch on my left eye. A few days later I was flying with no ill effects. Our crew finished our tour prior to VJ Day and ended up flying one of the B-24's back to the states."
THE DEMISE OF #034
By Walter L. Wegner (written 1997)
The date was 22 April, 1945, the base was Pandaveswar, the 9th Bombardment Squadron of the 7th Bombardment Group and the mission was to ferry a crew to Cox Bazar, which as many of you know was basically a fighter base, to pick up a B-24 that had been left there for repair after returning from a mission.
We dropped off the crew and had some time to kill before returning to our base so being a born and raised California boy, I thought it would be nice to take a dip in the ocean on the other side of the runway and catch a few rays. I so informed our pilot, Virgil Poston, and headed for the beach.
An hour or so later having finished my swim, I was walking back to the aircraft when I saw a B-24 that looked just like #034 taxi to the end of the runway for takeoff. Assuming that a test-hop might have been required that I did not know about, I stood by the side of the runway and waved at the plane as it took off.
After takeoff, the plane started climbing and then started turning from side to side when the pilot discovered that I, the intrepid navigator, was not on board. The plane then turned around and landed and I got on board, and we prepared for a second takeoff.
At this point it should be mentioned that many crews had single engine pilots as co-pilots who got very few take-offs and landings. This was an opportunity for our co-pilot to get a takeoff and he was in the left seat and the pilot was in the right seat.
By this time, it was very hot on the ground and in the aircraft and the plane had done a lot of taxiing as we started our take off roll. When at about 90 knots speed, the left brake locked, and we headed off the runway to the left. The pilot applied right brake and pulled back the power on number three and four engines to no avail and away we went off the runway which was banked up about three feet from the surrounding ground (sand).
The left gear collapsed, and number one and two props dug into the sand, and we spun around and came to a stop. All crew members exited the aircraft quickly in case there would be a fire and the only one hurt was our radio operator, Leonard Lueken, who got a bad cut on his head from hitting the waist gun mount upon impact.
The photo shows #034 after the accident. The date on the photo is 23 April 45 and was taken the day after the accident. This left our crew without an aircraft and after notifying our home base, we were told that we would be picked up in a day or two. We settled down and tried to be as comfortable as possible with the limited RAF facilities.
We did enjoy listening to the Senegalese (I believe) soldiers singing and sharpening their long knives in preparation for going into the jungle to kill as many of the enemy as possible. We were picked up in a day or two and returned to our base to continue our tour and we flew our next mission on 27 April. It is unfortunate that the co-pilot (now deceased), was replaced on the crew. All ten original crew members did survive the war with seven still living.
NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2007
PAGE 4
LEONARD LUEKEN/9TH BS - A FRIEND REMEMBERED
Jim, it is with great sadness that I report the passing of Leonard Lueken on Sunday the 28th of January is St. Louis, MO after a month-long illness. Leonard (Luke) was the radio operator on Virgil Poston's crew & I was the navigator. He was best man at our wedding in November, 1945 & a lifetime friend. He will be missed by all who knew him. Another member of the GREATEST GENERATION has passed on the big hangar in the sky. Walt Wegner.
FROM WALT:
Leonard "Luke" Lueken. I, Walt Wegner, first met Luke in the summer of 1944 at March Field, Riverside, California when we formed our B-24 crew & trained for overseas in WWII. Luke was our radio operator & I was the navigator on Virgil Poston's crew. Our ages ran from 18-28 with only one crew member married & with a small son. We trained hard, flew many hours, had many hours of ground school & little time off. My home was in Whitter, some 60 miles West of our base & Luke met my parents & my wife, Maxine, who I was engaged to at that time.
In early 1945 we departed for overseas. We arrived in Pandaveswar, India & were assigned to the 9th Bomb. Squadron, 7th Bomb Group, one of 4-squadrons there. Henry Nixon's crew who we trained with was also there. Over the next few months, we flew bombing missions about every 3-days & bombed targets in Burma & Siam, now Thailand. These missions were very long from about 8 to 18 hours with many flying hours of boredom & many minutes of sheer terror over the targets.
During this time, we received damage to our aircraft many times, however, with god's help & a good crew we returned home safely. In May, 1945 we moved to Assam province in Northeast India in the jungle due to the monsoon season that prevented us from bombing. We flew gas over the "HUMP" to China, the hump being mountains ranging up to 23,000 feet. This was without question the worst flying weather in the world over terrain that was inhospitable at best.
Luke saved my tail end many times by getting radio bearings so that I, the navigator, didn't get lost. We made a great team. These flights we around 5-6 hours each way were always many hours of sheer terror, never seeing the ground below, the sky above & the mountains close by. One blessed day we finished our required number of missions, around 50, & were awaiting shipment home when the war ended. The good lord had looked after us & we had all 10-crew members still surviving. We flew one of our B-24- bombers home, a very nice trip. After arriving home, I went to Little Rock, Arkansas where Maxine's parents lived to get married. This event took place on the 15th of November, 1945 & Leonard Lueken was the "BEST MAN".
Over the years we were able to visit with Luke when we visited Maxine's parents in Little Rock & met Betty before they were married. Time passed & we had our first crew reunion in 1978, some 33 years after the war, with all 10-screw members still alive. We managed to have 9 at the reunion at Dayton, Ohio site of the Air Force Museum. We continued to have reunions every few years & the crew remained close.
One highlight was in 1989 when we went to Fort Worth, Texas for the 50th anniversary of the B-24. We had a sit-down dinner for 4,000 people & Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller band played for us. Luke & Betty were in "hog heaven". Luke & Betty attended our 50th wedding anniversary in 1995 with two other crew members & spouses. We were planning on coming to their 50th wedding anniversary which was cancelled due to Betty's illness. Her passing was a great loss to us as well as Luke & his family. Luke continued to stay active & even took a trip to Spain with us. We were very happy that Luke found love again with Doris & they had many happy years together. They were on a river cruise with us in Europe plus several reunions. We send our love, prayers & best wishes to all of you assembled here to honor a great American & member of the "GREATEST GENERATION". Luke, fly-high dear friend & remember that you are & will always be the 'BEST MAN" . --Walt & Maxine Wegner