Luckenbill Walter E.

Monuments

B-25 "Oklahoma Betsie" (43-27737) Crash Site Marker

Name:

Walter E. Luckenbill

Rank:

Staff Sergeant

Serial Number:

35144847

Unit:

380th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 310th Bombardment Group (Medium)

Date of Death:

1988-06-08

State:

Indiana

Cemetery:

Holly Hills Memorial Park, Granbury, Hood County, Texas,

Plot:

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Comments:

Walter Luckenbill was born on March 2, 1918 and was from Indiana. He was a crew member (Radio Operator/Gunner) on the B-25 (43- 27737) “OKLAHOMA BETSIE”, of the 380th Bomber Squadron, 310th Bomber Group, 57th Bomber Wing, when it crashed on April 4, 1945. “Oklahoma Betsie was part of a 12-plane raid to bomb the railroad bridge at Oberdrauburg, Austria. On the return trip, “Oklahoma Betsie” collided with another B-25 (43-27552) “Pretzel”. “Pretzel” crashed immediately with complete loss of life near Monte Zocolan. Three crew members of “Oklahoma Betsie” perished and four became POWs when it crashed nearby in Lovea. A marker near Lovea remembers the crash site of “Oklahoma Betsie. Luckenbill became a POW after the plane crashed.