Monuments
Leiston Airfield (Station 373) and 357th & 358th Fighter Group Memorial
357th Fighter Group Roll of Honor
Ralph E. Eisert, Jr. was born in 1923 in New York to Ralph Emmett Eisert and Ethel M. Eisert. He resided in Erie County, New York prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 25, 1943, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents. Ralph served as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot on the P-51B "Shoo Shoo Baby" #42-106447, 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. The "Shoo Shoo Baby" was normally flown by Lt. John C. Howell and it is believed that Ralph was training with this plane.
Ralph died in the "Line of Duty" when his P-51 collided, approx. 1 mile north of Westleton, England, with the P-51B #43-24766 flown by Lt Robert R Hoffman of the 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group. Both pilots were killed. 2LT Eisert is now buried in the Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, Erie County, New York, USA.
Source of information: www.findagrave.com