Kenneth Jack Plantz was born on July 30, 1925, in Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota. He was the son of Willis Percy "Bill" Plantz and Frances Louise Collette Plantz. He served in the 603rd Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Waist Gunner of B-17 #44-6573 during World War II.

On March 2, 1945, B-17 #44-6573 was part of a bombing mission targeting the vital synthetic oil refinery at Bohlen, Germany. En route, the formation faced heavy attacks from German fighters, and the aircraft was shot down, crashing near Slaný, in the present-day Czech Republic. Tragically, eight of the crew members were killed in action, only one survived the crash and was taken as a prisoner of war.

Sgt Plantz was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial, Saint-Avold, Departement de la Moselle, Lorraine, France. Kenneth J. Plantz' name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 3 (right), on Butterfly 22, in the top right wing (section B).

Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com, b17flyingfortress.de, www.398th.org