Willis N. Stoltzfus was born in 1923 to Eli N. and Ida H. Stoltzfus who lived at 435 Nutt Road in Phoenixville , Pennsylvania.  He was the younger of two children: including his sister Marjorie M.   His father, Eli, was a proprietor of an auto repair shop, and later became a school director.

See Willis' family listed in the 1930 Census (700kb PDF File)

Willis attended Phoenixville High School, then located on Nutt Road where the hospital is located today. He chose the Academic course of studies.   Willis participated in a number of school activities: the Hi-Y Club his 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th years; representative to the Student Council; Track his 3^rd, 4^th ; Aero Club 2^nd; Intramural football (champion team); baseball and basketball his 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th; Penn Relays 3^rd, 3rd place medal for the mile run; on the Dance Committee, and Barn Dance Committee.

 

 

His high school yearbook describes him thus:

“A man may be known by the associates he keeps,” so that places Will in a rollicking crew of pleasure-lovers and fun-seekers. One of our milers on the track team, this chap has a decided tendency toward verbosity.

Willis graduated in 1940 and obtained employment at the B. F. Goodrich Company in Oaks.

In June 1944, Willis married Miss Betty Keyser from Oaks.  The ceremony took place at Drew Field Chapel in Tampa, Florida.  Betty graduated from Norristown High School, and attended the Pierce Business School in Philadelphia.  She worked as a secretary at the Peerless Paper Company, but left to assist her father in his business at Oaks.

Willis joined the Army Air Forces in November 1942, and qualified as an Aviation Cadet in February 1943.  He received pre-flight training at Marietta College, Ohio. He received training at various Army Air Force Fields in Florida, Alabama and Louisiana. He received his commission as 2^nd Lieutenant at Blytherville, Arkansas in April 1944, with his “Silver Wings” (Medal uniform insignia).  He was then qualified to pilot twin-engine aircraft.

 

 

Willis trained to fly a four-engine B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.  After additional training, he was sent overseas to the ETO (European Theater of Operations) in September 1944.

Willis was assigned to fly as a co-pilot with the 364^th  Bomb Squadron of the 305^th Bomb Group, stationed Chelveston Airfield in Northaptonshire, in southern England.

Lieutenant Willis N. Stoltzfus was Killed In Action on January 10, 1945 over Germany.

His wife received the fateful telegram on January 31^st.

 

Willis received the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters (in lieu of two additional medals) as well as the Purple Heart posthumously.  The accompanying citations reads:

For meritorious achievement while participating in sustained combat operation over Germany and German occupied countries.  The courage, coolness and skill displayed by this officer upon three occasions reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the Untied States.

Willis was buried in a local military cemetery. In 1947, at the request of his family, he was disinterred for burial in his home country.  He was transported across the Atlantic on board the Army Transport, Joseph V. Connolly, which carried the bodies of 6,251 of our heroes.  He was transported from New York Harbor to Phoenixville via an Army Hearse.

A private funeral service was held on Thursday November 6^th at the F.B. Neiman and Son funeral home, 241 First Avenue.  Interment was at the Green Tree Cemetery, in Oaks on Egypt Road near Green Tree Road (next to Green Tree Brethren Church).