Kenneth W. Lang was born at The Bronx, New York City, New York in 1918. His parents were Rudolph Charles Lang (27 Apr 1892 – unk) and Norma Lang (abt 1893 – unk). It appears that he was an only child. His father was a mechanical engineer. By 1935 the family lived at 25 East 193rd Street in The Bronx, New York. Kenneth Lang completed four years of college and worked in an occupation related to packing, filling, or bottling. He was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York on August 7, 1941. He married after enlisting. His wife was Mrs. Cora E. Lang. His home of record was 25 East 193d Street, New York City, New York, his wife's address in 1944.
He completed Army Air Forces pilot training and was assigned a crew. The Lang crew completed B-17 operational training at Alexandria Army Air Base, Louisiana, and was assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. This Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. The Lang crew arrived at Station 137 by October 31, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.
On December 24, 1944, the 8th Air Force launched mission #760, the largest aerial mission of the war, which involved more than 2000 heavy bombers. The mission was to bomb German airfields and supply lines, to stop the German offensive in the Ardennes known as the Battle of the Bulge. The 487th Bomb Group led the entire 8th Air Force on this mission. Lt Lang's crew flew B-17G 44-8192 in the number eleven position of the 487th Bomb Group's Low Squadron. The Group's target was the airfield at Babenhausen, Germany, but the formation was attacked south of Liege, Belgium, before the Allied fighter cover arrived. German fighters shot down six of thirteen aircraft in the Low Squadron, including B-17G 44-8192. Lt Lang and three of his crewmates were killed in action. He and Lt Miller were probably killed by enemy gunfire on the flight deck. Sgt Huck and Sgt Kausrud were probably killed by enemy gunfire at their positions in the waist. Sgt Yowan was wounded by enemy gunfire in the ball turret, but he was able to exit the turret and bail out of the burning aircraft along with four others. The survivors landed in friendly territory and were recovered by American forces. The aircraft crashed near Louveigne, Belgium.
Lt Lang is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery.
B-17G 44-8192 crew:
• Lang, Kenneth W – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Miller, Howard R – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Alvine Jr, Samuel – F/O – Navigator – Safe
• Lang, George F – 2/Lt – Bombardier – Safe
• Weber, James A – S/Sgt – Engineer – Safe
• Huck, Donald R – Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Yowan, Robert G – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – Safe
• Kausrud, Donald C – S/Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA
• Haskett, Charles W – Sgt – Tail Gunner – Safe
Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com