Donald E. Wilt was born in 1922. He resided in Bay County, Michigan prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on September 22, 1942 in Bay City, Michigan. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the manufacture of electrical machinery and accessories and also as Single, without dependents. Donald served as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on C-46A #42-107383, 1332nd Army Air Force Base Unit, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

C-46A #42-107383 took off, with a crew of 3, from Chengkung, China on a transport mission to Mohanbari, India. They were last contacted by radio and were not seen nor heard from again on September 25, 1944. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until February 21, 1946. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He also has a cenotaph located in Elm Lawn Cemetery, Bay City, Bay County, Michigan.

2Lt Wilt 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 1944-09-24.

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