Wilbur J. Osterkamp was born on May 16, 1917 in Illinois. He resided in Macoupin County, Illinois prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 13, 1942 in Peoria, Illinois. He was noted as being employed as a Farm Hand and also as Single, without dependents. Wilbur served as a Second Lieutenant on and Pilot on B-17G (#42-97255), 563rd Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.

Wilbur was declared "Missing In Action" over Rostock, Germany during the war. His name is commemorated on the Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom. He also has a cenotaph located in Mayfield Memorial Park Cemetery, Carlinville, Macoupin County, Illinois. 2Lt Osterkamp was one of the many brave Americans of the 388th Bomber Group who lost their lives in aerial operations against the German forces from June 1943 - August 1945.

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