Eldred Trachta, aged 27, was born on September 27, 1917 in Rangely, Colorado. He was the son of Joseph Ellis Trachta and Glenna Florence Jones Trachta. He resided in Laramie County, Wyoming prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on March 2, 1943 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Civil Engineer and also as Single, without dependents.

Eldred served as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on C-47A #43-15493, 84th Troop Carrier Squadron, 437th Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. The plane took off from Maisoncelles, France on a Glider Towing mission over Wesel, Germany. The aircraft was hit by flak while towing a glider as part of the Rhein crossing (Operation Varsity). The aircraft was first hit in the right wing behind the engine and subsequently near the navigator's station and in the centre of the aircraft. The two gliders (CG-4A's 43-39755 and 43-27466) were released and the aircraft crashed. One of the crew members was able to bail out. 2LT Trachta was killed in the crash on March 24, 1945. He is buried now in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.

Airmen who perished on C-47A #43-15493:
Deer, Victor R - Capt, Pilot, IN
Gibson, Bryce C, Jr - 1st Lt, Navigator, TX
Nordgren, Earl C - S/Sgt, Radio Operator, WI
Trachta, Eldred - 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CO
T/Sgt. Paul B. LeFever - survived the crash and the war

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, https://aviation-safety.net