Lieutenant George W. Schoeneck
Today we honor and remember 1LT George W. Schoeneck of the 101st Airborne Division.
First Lieutenant (1LT) George W. Schoeneck of Headquarters Battery, 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, to George F. and Clara L. (Hardister) Schoeneck on July 22, 1923. George had one sister, Betty Sue Schoeneck (1929-2020).
George attended two years of college and was a clerk before he enlisted for the U.S. Army in his hometown on October 21, 1942. He was trained at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where the Field Artillery School trained its own fixed-wing pilots as field artillery spotters.
LT George Schoeneck would be assigned to the 463rd PFAB and fight with them during its operations in Italy and France. During his combat operations, he had several crashes and would lose at least three planes. At Bastogne, his luck unfortunately ran out on the last official day of the Battle of the Bulge.
On January 16, 1945, LT Schoeneck was flying in his Piper Cub L-4 plane together with his aerial observer, 2LT Jack S. Terry, observing the battles for Bourcy and Rachamps, looking for enemy tanks and hidden artillery positions. By sheer coincidence, their plane ran into the path of a friendly, 105mm artillery shell, fired by one of the units moving down from the north to close a certain gap for the enemy.
Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅
LT Schoeneck was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery Grand Failly, France. He rests eternally at the American War Cemetery Luxembourg, at Plot D, Row 8, Grave 14. May he rest in peace.
Happy Birthday in Heaven, George.
Lest we forget. 🇺🇸
Sources
Fields of Honor
Fire Mission! Battery Adjust. The History of the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery (By Filip D. Williams)
The Battered Bastards of Bastogne (By George Koskimaki)
The National WWII Museum
Thanks Jos 🫡🇺🇸🇳🇱🫡