Wolfgang A. Lied

Wolfgang was drafted into the German Army during 1943 at the age of 16. He was assigned the position of range finder on a Flugabwehr- Kanone aircraft defense cannon, or FlaK 18. His commanders believed his good vision and strong math skills made him a good fit for such a demanding position. He later served briefly in the Luftwaffe and then the infantry. The end of the war found Wolfgang in Denmark, where he had to make his way home by foot, the occasional farm wagon, or by finding a train that was still running. Wolfgang was able to speak English, and after the war ended, he worked as a translator with the U.S. Army, becoming acquainted with many GIs. Wolfgang was invited to come to the United States by R.L. Anderson of Washington, IL during 1948. Mr. Anderson and others collected money to allow Wolfgang to attend Bradley University where he earned a Mechanical Engineering Diploma in 1950. During his stay in the U.S., Wolfgang was a frequent speaker at local service clubs, where listeners were always eager to hear the stories of his childhood in Germany and of his wartime experiences. Wolfgang returned to Germany, where he met and married Inge Fuchs in 1951. Wolfgang, Inge, and their new son Michael returned to the US via steamship, with all their earthly belongings in a single steamer trunk. Wolfgang and Inge later welcomed a second son, Walter, in 1956, while living in America. Wolfgang, Inge, and Michael became proud US citizens in 1959. Wolfgang worked for Honeywell Inc. in Peoria, IL for more than 30 years. During his career, he held positions as a draftsman, designer, construction manager, and lead engineer developing HVAC and security systems for commercial buildings. He was respected by his coworkers and many union tradesmen on construction sites. Wolfgang was invariably upbeat and friendly, always ready to crack a joke or make a bad pun. He was very environmentally minded, and once campaigned to save a large, rare, mature purple beech tree in the parking area of what is now LindyA