John Leroy Lenburg was born on February 18, 1924, in Gary, Indiana. He was the son of Leo N. and Mary D. Lenburg. He was the husband of Catherine Galich. He enlisted in the service on December 12, 1942. He served in the 760th Bomber Squadron, 460th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Flight/ Engineer Gunner 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.

After landing, he was rescued by two Hungarian soldiers from a hostile group of civilians armed with farm tools, then turned over, along with surviving crew members, to German authorities. He was treated for burns and other wounds at Military Hospital No. 11 in Budapest before being transferred to Pestvideki Prison for several weeks. Following interrogation, he was transported by boxcar to Stalag Luft IV in northern Germany, where he was liberated in 1945. He was discharged in October 1945.

Lenburg spent the majority of his career with Sears, Roebuck and Co., retiring in 1980 as an automotive center manager. He later worked for L & P Home Center, Prudential Insurance Co., and Gandahl Lumber Co. in Anaheim, California. In 1986, John retired once again and returned to Hobart. He was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and actively served in the St. Vincent de Paul Society. A Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, St. Clement Council No. 3283, he also pursued extensive genealogy research, privately publishing a book in 1994 on his Lenburg lineage. Four years later, he authored Kriegsgefangen #6410, recounting his experiences as a prisoner of war. Lenburg died on November 4, 2000, due to heart failure, and is now buried in the Calumet Park Cemetery, Merrillville, Lake County, Indiana, USA.

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