Lieut. Paul R. Fiedler has been transferred from central Africa to the Persian gulf. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Fiedler of Marion, he is with the air transport command.
Source: Marion Sentinel, May 31, 1945, pg. 13
Lt. Robert Fiedler, 23, Air Transport Pilot, is Reported Lost in Asia
Word came to Marion Wednesday afternoon that 2nd Lieut. Robert Fiedler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Fiedler, had been killed in a plane crash at Oman, somewhere in Asia, on July 27.
It did not take long to send a wave of sorrow over the entire community, for Bob was a fine upstanding young man of great promise.
The message from the war department found both his parents out of town, his father at work in a Cedar Rapids war plant, and the mother, looking after a sister in Dubuque, just home from a hospital.
Lieutenant Fiedler received his wings and was commissioned at Altus, Okla., and had gone overseas December 24, 1944. He was co-pilot of a C-46, in the Air Transport Command. His group was moved to Abadan, Iran, May 18, from the gold coast of Africa, and he was flying to and from India.
Two letters, written July 23 and 24, to his parents arrived here Wednesday night, after word of his death
Lieutenant Fiedler was born at Cuba City, Wis., January 16, 1923, and came to Marion with his parents in August 1929. His father engaged in the grocery business in Marion until quite recently.
Bob's early schooling was at St. Berchman's, where he graduated, and then went through Marion high school, graduating in 1941. Later that fall he entered Loras college at Dubuque, which he attended a year and a half before entering service.
Besides his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Fiedler, and his sister, Helene, he is survived by his paternal grandfather, Mr. Fiedler, in Wisconsin, his maternal grandfather, William Byrne, in Dubuque.
The telegram, from acting Adjutant General Edward Witzall, gave no additional information, except the date and the place of the crash, but stated that a letter with further information would follow.
Source: Marion Sentinel, August 2, 1945, pg. 1
KILLED - Lt. Robert Fiedler, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Fiedler of Marion, was killed July 27 when his transport plane crashed while he was flying from Abadan, Iran, to Karachie, India.
Source: The Cedar Rapids Gazette, August 3, 1945, pg. 4 (photo included)
Memorial Services Wednesday Morning For Robert Fiedler
A church full of people assembled at St. Joseph's Catholic church Wednesday morning to pay tribute to the memory of Lieut. Paul Robert Fiedler, who less than a month before made the supreme sacrifice in the service of his country.
It was a reverently devout service with memorial requiem mass, and a thought provoking memorial sermon by the Rev. T. J McElliott, based on the words of St. Paul - "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain". He spoke of the sacrifices of Christ for others, of the ideality of forgiveness, of love and sacrifice for fellow men; of love for neighbors, and of the development of the neighbor idea until it embraces all mankind.
These young men are giving their all and hoping and striving to make peace for all time. They are hoping and praying that this new league of peace will with God's help be made to last, and that rulers of nations as well as citizens must come to accept the will of the Prince of peace. How are we going to pay these young men who have given their all, if we fail to live for peace? Freedom comes from God. It is something from heaven brought down to earth to bless this nation, and through it bless all mankind.
Bob, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Fiedler, was one of Marion's most popular young men. With a year and a half out of high school here - that time spent at Loras college, he entered the Air Transport Command, and was enroute on a mission over west Asia, serving as a co-pilot of a C-46, when he was killled in a crash near a town called Oman, in Iran, on July 27.
Bob was born at Cuba City, Wis., January 16, 1923, and came to Marion with his parents in 1929. The city possessed no finer or more promising young man to lay on the altar of its country than this boy Bob, and many an unknown tear has been shed over the loss to this fine family of their only son.
Source: Marion Sentinel, August 23, 1945, pg. 16
FIEDLER RITES AT WISCONSIN
Services for Lt. Robert Fiedler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Fiedler, 944 Thirteenth street, Marion, were conducted in the St. Rose Catholic church at Cuba City, Wis., Wednesday.
Lt. Fiedler was killed in a plane crash near Sharjah, Trucial Oman, on July 27, 1945. His body arrived in Dubuque on Tuesday and was taken to a Cuba City funeral home to await services Wednesday morning.
Burial was in St. Rose cemetery beside a brother who died in infancy. Military rites were conducted by the Cuba City American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. The Rev. L.T. Barney officiated.
Lt. Robert Fiedler was born at Cuba City, Wisconsin January 16th, 1923, and moved with his parents to Marion, Iowa, in August of 1929. He was an eighth grade graduate of St. Berchman's Seminary in Marion and then attended Marion High School, graduating in 1941. A student at Loras College, Dubuque, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, leaving Marion May 31st, 1943.
After training in Texas, Ohio, Kansas and Oklahoma, he received his wings and second lieutenant's commission, September 8, 1944, at the Altus, Oklahoma army air field. His last visit home was early in December 1944 and on December 24th he left Nashville, Tenn., by plane for overseas arriving on the Gold coast of Africa January 4th 1945.
As co-pilot of a C-46 Transport plane, he was based in Africa for several months and then transferred to Abadan, Iran. From this base he flew supplies, passengers and mail to and from Karachi, India. It was on one of these return trips from Karachi that he, with the other members of the crew, met death in a plane crash near Sharjah, Trucial Oman, on July 27, 1945.
Lt. Fiedler is survived by his parents and a sister, Helen, residents of Marion.
Source: Marion Sentinel, June 10, 1948, pg. 1
Paul R. Fiedler was born Jan. 16, 1923 to Paul J. and Sybilena B. Byrne Fiedler. He died July 27, 1945 and is buried in Saint Rose of Lima Cemetery, Cuba City, WI.
Lt. Fiedler served in World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corps Air Transport Service and died in the service of his country.
Sources: ancestry.com
