Pilot Shot Down in Germany; From Chalfont Pa

Lt. Albert F Wick - WWII Pilot Killed in Action

Memorial Day is a day to honor those who sacrificed their lives in order to protect the greatest Country in the world. Veterans Day is a day to honor all those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. Please see the end of this story for more interesting information about the two holidays and the difference between them.
The story of Lt. Wick is fitting for Memorial Day, but it's also appropriate for Veterans Day as a reminder that those who serve are among the most courageous among us, and deserve appreciation and respect and should be an inspiration to remain vigilant as citizens. As citizens, it is our responsibility to maintain the principles of America, which was created by the people, for the people.  


On Wednesday, August 19, 2015, The Chalfont VFW presented a medal honoring Lt. Albert F. Wick, a pilot in the Army,  who was killed in action on September 19, 1944 in Germany during WWII.

 The original Chalfont VFW Post 5588, chartered in 1946, was
established, and named for Lieutenant Albert F. Wick.
The late Albert F. Wick, formerly a Chalfont resident graduated from  Doylestown High School
in 1939. He was drafted into the Army and underwent basic training
in Sioux Falls, SD. Following initial training, Albert applied for Air Corp
School and was accepted for aviation training. He completed pilot and
navigation training in Texas.
After being introduced by a friend, Albert and Arlene (nee Williams)
were married in Lansdale, PA, on December 9, 1943.

Albert was stationed in England, not far from London,
and served with the 860th Bomber Squadron, 493rd Bomber Group (H).
He flew both B-24 and B-17 Aircraft in the ETO. On September 19,
1944, while flying his 23rd combat mission, Albert was shot down over
Germany. The crew’s tail gunner was the only survivor of the crash.
Lt.Wick would have been eligible to take leave after his 25th mission.

Lt. Wick is buried at Port Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold,
France, Plot K, Row 33, Grave 20, (ID 0-702989) as confirmed by the
American Battle Monuments Commission.

The Post later named in honor of Lt. Wick dissolved in 1981. The current Chalfont VFW Post 3258 was chartered on May 15, 1996, with 47 members. The Post today remains active
with 78 members.

From the Memorial Foundation Organization: 

Two national Holidays, Memorial Day and Veterans Day, honor the sacrifice of Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and celebrate the people who served and the values Americans hold as a nation: duty, honor and civic responsibility.

The holidays, though they commemorate the sacrifices of thousands of American service members, are distinctly different. Memorial Day is the older of the two holidays, having its roots in the Civil War. First known as Decoration Day, it was instituted by former Union Army Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, to honor those who died in the armed forces. Logan, later a U.S. senator from Illinois, became the first commander-in-chief of the organization of Union veterans called the Grand Army of the Republic.

With General Orders No. 11, Logan designated May 30, 1868, "for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country" and conduct special services as circumstances permitted.

The establishment of Veterans Day as a national holiday had a different purpose. It stems from the armistice that ended combat in World War I, Nov. 11, 1918. It honored all who had served in the U.S. Armed Forces in World War I. The holiday was officially called "Armistice Day" in 1926 and became a national holiday 12 years later.

It would probably still be known as Armistice Day had World War I, "The War to End All Wars, lived up to that nickname. A few years after the day became a national holiday, the United States entered a war — World War II — that called on more than 16.5 million American men and women to serve in the U.S. military. Of those, some 292,000 died in battle.

Representative Edwin K. Rees of Kansas proposed that Nov. 11 be set aside as an occasion to honor those who served America in all wars instead of only World War I. Shortly afterward, in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the bill which officially changed the name of the holiday and broadened its purpose.

In 1968 a congressional law attempted to move Veterans Day to this forth Monday in October, but the original date of Nov. 11 was kept because of its historic significance.

Memorial Day and Veterans Day honor the sacrifices of innumerable individuals who sacrificed themselves to preserve the freedoms all Americans enjoy, with Memorial Day remembering those who gave their lives, and Veterans Day honoring all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.