Lewis Carl Landauer was born on July 6, 1921 in Jay County, Indiana. He was the son of Albert Carl Landauer and Lila Dean Stone Landauer. He resided in Jay County, Indiana prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on January 15, 1943 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a mechanic and also as Single, without dependents. Lewis served as a Sergeant and Radio Operator on B-29 "Stockett's Rocket" #42-6261, 45th Bomber Squadron, 40th Bomber Group, Very Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-29 #42-6261 took off, with a crew of 11 and 1 passenger, from Chakulia, India on a bombing mission over a steel works in Yawata Kyushu, Japan. After taking off from India, and prior to actually going on the mission to Japan, they were scheduled to land in Hsing-Ching, China to refuel. They never reached the base in China. The entire crew was lost for an unknown reason. Lewis was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He also has a cenotaph located in Hillcrest Cemetery, Redkey, Jay County, Indiana, USA. Stockett's Rocket crew is also honored on a memorial plaque at B-29 DOC hanger plaza, Eisenhower National Airport, Wichita, KS.

Lewis was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is also commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China but death date is inscribed as 1944-06-16.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov