John Loehrke
| Date and Place of Birth: | March 29, 1915 Mayville, WI |
| Date and Place of Death: | December 26, 1941 Macon, GA |
| Baseball Experience: | Semi-Pro |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Military Unit: | USAAF |
| Area Served: | United States |
"On the 26th day of December, 1941, Lieutenant John E
Loehrke, a respected and honored citizen of our community, was summoned
to his death while in the service of his government, the United States
of America ... unselfishly devoting his time and efforts to the defense
of our Nation's citizens, and, as such, has brought great honor and
distinction to our community. I hereby claim that all business in this
city be suspended between the hours of one and two o'clock on said date,
and request that each citizen of Mayville devote such hour towards
honoring the deceased, Lieutenant John E Loehrke."
Proclamation of Mayor Walter Schellpfeffer of Mayville, Wisconsin,
December 31, 1941.
John E. Loehrke was born at Mayville, Wisconsin on March 29, 1915.
His father, John - who ran the Beaumont Hotel in Mayville - died the
year after his son was born and Mrs Loehrke moved the family to Burnett.
Seven years later they returned to Mayville.
Loehrke was an outstanding student and athlete at Mayville High School.
He won the silver cup given by the Junior Association of Commerce for
excellence in studies and outside activities. He graduated in 1932 and
became a star end on the University of Wisconsin football team. Loehrke
also pitched for the Mayville baseball team and played basketball on the
city squad.
Loehrke joined the Army Air Corps in 1940. He completed his pilot
training at Randolph Field and Kelly Field in Texas, and was
commissioned as a lieutenant on December 20, 1940. On May 5, 1941,
Second Lieutenant Loehrke began work as an instructor at Cochran Field
near Macon, Georgia.
At the beginning of December 1941, Loehrke became squadron commander at
Cochran Field, with 14 officer instructors and 50 cadets, mostly from
the British Royal Air Force, under his command. His role was primarily
administrative but still allowed him the opportunity to fly - something
he loved to do.
On December 26, 1941, Second Lieutenant Loehrke was substituting for
another instructor on a training flight with Royal Air Force cadet John
K. Briers. Briers was from Derby, England and had 60 hours of flying in
the primary course plus seven hours of instruction at Cochran. Loehrke
had logged 900 hours of flying time.
They were practicing forced landings in a Vultee BT-13 Valiant when the
engine gave out and the airplane crashed into a small field 13 miles
from the airfield and burst into flames. John Loehrke and John Briers
were both killed.
John Loehrke was Mayville's first casualty of WWII. His remains were
returned to the town, and on December 31, 1941, funeral services were
held at St. Paul's Lutheran church. The mayor of the city, Walter
Schellpfeffer, issued a proclamation asking "that all business in this
city be suspended between the hours of one and two o'clock ... and that
each citizen of Mayville devote such hour towards honoring the deceased,
Lieutenant John E. Loehrke." In attendance was his best friend from the
service, Second Lieutenant Robert Martens of Clairmont, California. John
Loehrke is buried in the Graceland Cemetery in Mayville.
John Briers is buried in the Annexe of Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery, Alabama. "I have been told that the Loehrke family tended John's grave for many years and made regular trips to Oakwood," says Dave Briers, nephew of John Briers.
John Loehrke's grave at Graceland Cemetery, Mayville, Wisconsin
Thanks to Alixe M. Bielot, Director, Mayville Public Library and Dave Briers. Thanks also to Astrid van Erp, for help with photos for this biography.
Date Added June 4, 2012 Updated July 30, 2017
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