Matthew Leighton Hendricks was born on August 17, 1923, in Sioux City, Iowa. He was the son of Eldon Nixon. He was the husband of Marjorie Marie Meyers Hendricks. He graduated from Grand Haven High School in 1942. He enlisted in the Air Force on January 1, 1943, and trained at Hondo, Texas, before being assigned to the 15th Air Force in Italy. He served in the 760th Bomber Squadron, 460th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot of B-24 #41-29291 during World War II.

On June 30, 1944, B-24H 41-29291 also joined the Fifteenth Air Force strike on Blechhammer, flying deep into German-held territory as part of the long-range strategic effort to cripple Axis fuel production. After releasing its payload, the bomber began the difficult homeward journey, navigating thunderstorms, heavy flak belts, and persistent Luftwaffe fighter attacks. Over northern Lake Balaton, the aircraft came under renewed pressure as enemy fighters pounced on stragglers from the American stream. Damaged and unable to hold altitude, 41-29291 broke away and attempted an emergency descent toward the countryside near Nemesvita, just north of the lake. The Liberator crashed in the rural terrain there, scattering debris and leading to an immediate German response. Some crewmen were killed outright, while others survived to be taken prisoner.

2Lt Hendricks was captured and became a prisoner of war, held at Stalag Luft 3 Sagan, Silesia, Bavaria. He enlisted in the State Police on April 18, 1949, serving in East Lansing and Mt. Pleasant before receiving military leave on July 1, 1951. He returned to duty on January 19, 1953, as a trooper in Center Line. He was reassigned to Cheboygan on November 15, 1954, and then to Paw Paw on November 14, 1955, before transferring to the operations bureau on February 4, 1958. At the time of his death, he was temporarily working with the State Police civil defense division at headquarters. He died on May 23, 1963, due to injuries sustained in a single-vehicle crash. 2Lt Hendricks is now buried in the Spring Lake Cemetery, Spring Lake, Ottawa County, Michigan, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, norwalkctheroes.org, www.15thaf.org