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Reinhard Walter Roman, Reinie, was born in Chicago on April 16, 1917. He lived there until 1928 when his family moved to Coopersville,
Michigan. The family lived in Coopersville
until 1936, when they moved to Conklin. They lived on a farm about one half mile
south west of the village of Conklin. In addition to his parents, Reinie’s family consisted of two brothers (Henry
and Ralph) and three sisters (Hattie, Ella, and Elma Jean).
Reinie was inducted into the army on January 21, 1940 and was stationed a Fort Worden,
Washington. First he was in the
coast artillery then in the military police. On May 10, 1943 he was transferred to the army air corps and started his training at Washington State
College located in Pullman, Washington. He took his preflight training in Santa Anna, Visalia,
and Lemore, California.
Next, he was transferred to Pecos, Texas. In July 1944, three weeks before he was to receive his pilot’s wings, he was hospitalized for a broken
knee cap. He was given convalescent leave home.
Reinie reported back to Pecos,
Texas on November 5, 1944, to resume
and finish his pilot’s training. On Sunday,
November 19, 1944, two weeks after he had reported back for duty, he was killed in a plane crash ten miles south
of Stockton, Texas.
He was 27 years old.
His body was taken to Bettes Memorial Chapel in Sparta,
Michigan. Aviation Cadet John C. Dillingham
Jr. accompanied his body as a military escort. A prayer service was held on Saturday, November 25, 1944 at 2 p.m. The prayer service was held at his home. A
military service was held at 2:30 p.m. at Trinity
Lutheran Church, Conklin, under the auspices of
the Raymond Rankin Post 308, American Legion, Coopersville, Michigan. The pallbearers were: Sergeant Carl J.
Momber, Sparta; Technical Sergeant Louis H. Calkins, 8
Mile Road, Grand Rapids; Corporal Charles S. Chesla, Conklin; Private Donald
R. Creager, Conklin; Sergeant Walter VanOeffelen, Conklin; and Private R. J. Lachmann, Conklin. Rev. C. F. Lederer Officiated. Burial was in Trinity
Lutheran Cemetery.
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