Lloyd Wesley Kersten was born at Calhoun Township, Harrison County, Iowa (near Logan, Iowa) on July 23, 1921. His parents were Edward Frederick Kersten (1 Sep 1885 – Feb 1942), who was born at Osage County, Kansas; and Martha Marie (Schuelzky) Kersten (25 Jun 1885 – 4 Feb 1977), who was born at Adams County, Nebraska. His parents married at Guide Rock, Webster County, Nebraska on August 24, 1910. His father was a farmer. He had four older siblings and at least two younger siblings. In 1930 the family lived in Calhoun Township, Harrison County, Iowa.

He completed four years of high school, and worked as a farmer. He was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Camp Dodge near Des Moines, Iowa on December 18, 1942. His wartime home of record was Logan, Harrison County, Iowa. He married Helen Marie John (29 Oct 1923 – 18 Aug 2001) at Franklin County, Ohio on March 14, 1944. At that time he was stationed at Lockbourne Army Air Base in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. Lloyd and Helen Kersten had a child, Connie Lou (Kersten) O'Gara (25 Dec 1944 – 18 May 1991). Helen Kersten later married Charles Sam Emre (1924 – 1971) and Robert Frances House (1924 – 2012).

He completed Army Air Forces pilot training and was assigned a crew. The Kersten crew completed B-17 operational training at Dyersburg Army Air Base, Tennessee, and was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Army Air Forces Station 137, near the village of Lavenham, Suffolk, England. The crew arrived at Station 137 by July 24, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

Lt Kersten and six of his crew mates were killed in action on November 30, 1944, when their aircraft, B-17G 43-37877, was shot down by flak. The target was the the oil refinery at Leuna near Merseburg, Germany. As the 487th Bomb Group formation approached the Initial Point of the bomb run near Triptis, the radar set in the lead ship malfunctioned, and the deputy lead ship took over the lead for a visual run. The bombardier in that ship couldn't pick out the Leuna refinery through the smokescreen and the flak, so he chose to drop on what was thought to be a refinery in the vicinity of Zeitz. Just after bombs away at 1315, Lt Kersten's B-17 received direct flak hits and went down in the vicinity of Theißen, just north of Zeitz, Germany. Lt Hyland and Lt Ritchhart bailed out just before the aircraft exploded, and survived as prisoners of war. The bombs struck the eastern outskirts of Zeitz, about 19 miles southeast of the assigned target.

After the war his remains were returned to the United States and reinterred at Magnolia Cemetery in Harrison County, Iowa.

B-17G 43-37877 crew:
• Kersten, Lloyd W – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Gerland, Henry E – 1/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Hyland Jr, James W – 1/Lt – Navigator – POW
• Ritchhart, Warren H – 1/Lt – Bombardier – POW
• Eberhart, John D – T/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Shegal, Arnold R – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Morrison, Everett S – S/Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Sullivan, Maurice J – S/Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Miller, Joseph M – S/Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com