U.S. Army Service No. (ASN): #O-753769

Entered the Service from: Illinois

95th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group

Awards: Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart

Melvin E. Wiedbusch is listed as Killed In Action in the 1946 Army and Army Air Forces Personnel Casualty List for Cook County, Illinois.

Cook County, Illinois, U.S., Birth Certificates Index, 1871-1922 lists Melvin Edward Weidbusch with birth date of 11 Jul 1917 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois to William Weidbusch and Emily Brandt.

U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 lists his residence as 1819 North 37th Avenue, Stone Park, Illinois. Contact person listed as Amelia Wiedbusch (Wife) of previous address of 1156 South Kenilworth Avenue, Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois. Place of birth listed as Chicago, Illinois on 07/11/1917. Middle name listed as Edward. Employed by Edison General Electric Appliance Company, 5600 West Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois as of 10/16/1940 registration date.

U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949 lists the name and address of his Next of Kin as:

Mrs. Mildred H. Wiedbusch

10434 West Medill Avenue

Melrose Park, Illinois

***I would like to thank Andy Find A Grave ID 48021049 for adding his photos to this memorial***

***I would like to thank Nico..! Find A Grave ID 50295332 for updating the death location and inscription information on this memorial***

MELVIN E. WIEDBUSCH, 1LT

U. S. Army Air Forces

Pilot of P-38 #43-28774

MACR# 6429 (Missing Air Crew Report)

Lt Melvin E Wiedbusch lived at 10434 W Madill Ave., Melrose Park, Cook County, Illinois. He left a wife Mildred H Wiedbusch.

Lt Wiedbusch flew P-38 43-28774 with the 82nd Fighter Group based at Vincenzo, Italy in June of 1944. Vincenzo was 41 miles east southeast of Foggia, Italy.

Eyewitness report of Lt. Jack D Joley:

I was flying on Lt Wiedbusch's wing in Lt Butler's flight escorting bombers to targets at Sete/Balaruc, France.

We were on the right of the bombers and reaching the Toulon, France area, were about 20 miles inland.

There was a 7/10 to 8/10 cloud layer below us at about 10/11,000 feet.

Suddenly Lt Wiedbusch called in enemy fighters below us climbing up thru the clouds. He went down after them and I followed, but pulled out above the clouds.

Lt Wiedbusch got on the tail of a ME 109 at close range and when last seen was diving almost vertically into the clouds while firing at the E/A.

He did not reappear when the squadron reformed and we never heard him call for help on his radio. He may not have been able to pull out of his dive at such a low altitude.