World War II Veteran Prepares to Celebrate 100th Birthday with First Trip Back to Germany Since War
A World War II veteran who was held as a prisoner of war in Germany during the final weeks of the war is set to celebrate his 100th birthday. Born in rural Ohio on October 31, 1923, 1st Lt. Wallace “Wally” King shared in an interview with Fox News Digital that he attended school for all 12 years in the same building, graduating in May 1941 alongside just 32 classmates, all of whom eventually served in the military during the war.
Since childhood, King had dreams of flying airplanes. He idolized aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh and enjoyed playing with model airplanes. However, at the time, the Army Air Corps required pilots to have two years of college education and be over the age of 20, neither of which King possessed. Determined to pursue his passion, King enlisted for cadet training as soon as he became eligible.
Fortunately, the requirements for pilot training changed about a year after King’s high school graduation, allowing high school graduates over the age of 18 to apply. In the summer of 1942, King applied for cadet training and was accepted. After undergoing additional trainings at Centenary College of Louisiana, King moved on to a dedicated training center. He completed primary, basic, and advanced flying school, obtained his wings, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. It was already the summer of 1944 by the time he finished his training.
King disclosed that his class, along with the previous two classes, were being prepared as replacement pilots for anticipated losses on D-Day. However, those losses did not occur as the German aviation unit, the Luftwaffe, did not pose a significant threat. Consequently, the training school was soon closed, indicating that there was no longer a need for more pilots.
Following these events, King arrived in England shortly after D-Day and was later transferred to a fighter group near Le Mans, France. Throughout his missions, King flew the P-47 Thunderbolt airplane. On his 75th mission in April 1945, he was shot down and forced to bail out of his burning aircraft. Eventually, he was captured by the Germans and placed with a German evacuation unit on the Russian front.
As the war in Europe was coming to a close, the Russians were moving closer to Berlin. King found himself under the care of a compassionate German doctor who treated him and other wounded American soldiers in a frame house located south of Berlin. At the time, the Americans were residing in the attic of the house. The doctor had gathered eight severely wounded GIs, all of whom were unconscious during King’s two-week stay with the medical unit.
Ultimately, the soldiers who were gravely wounded were turned over to the American bridgehead. After spending three days evading SS soldiers, King and three other American soldiers, along with the German doctor and German soldiers who had surrendered, embarked on a dangerous nighttime escape from Berlin. Trekking through the night without lights, they navigated the hazardous terrain to avoid German roadblocks.
Once King was back in American custody, he was transported to France and spent an additional six weeks recovering in a hospital before returning home to Ohio. After settling back in the United States, King obtained his CPA license and established a successful firm that continues to operate today.
King continued to fly until the age of 50 and expressed his preference for World War II fighters, describing civilian planes as “light and flimsy” in comparison. Today, he shares his experiences and firsthand accounts of World War II through speaking engagements at schools and other organizations.
According to King, there is nothing glorious or admirable about war. He believes it should always be a last resort, acknowledging the grim reality of killing and the atrocities inherent in armed conflicts.
On October 31, King will celebrate his 100th birthday. Just two days later, he will embark on a trip to Germany with the Best Defense Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides unique experiences for veterans. This journey marks his first return to Germany since his time as a prisoner of war.
King expressed his excitement to witness some of the places in Berlin that he previously only read about, highlighting the stark contrast between his upcoming visit and his previous experience in the country.
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Christine Rousselle is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
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