Samuel P. Wentzel

Samuel P. Wentzel, Jr., 91 of Tilden Township died Friday April 29, 2016, in the Lebanon V.A. Medical Center. He was the widower of Miriam A. (Klopp) Wentzel. He was born in Bern Township and was the son of the late Samuel P. Wentzel, Sr., and Tamah Wentzel. Sam was a 1942 graduate of Hamburg High School and was employed for 36 years as a machinist for Allen-Sherman Hoff Pump Company, Hamburg and worked four years at Hamburg Fabricators, Reading retiring in 1990. He entered the Army Air Corps on March 1, 1943 and flew on eight bombing missions as the right waist gunner on a B-17, "Flying Fortress" bomber from Italy with the 15th Air Force and was with the 96th Bombardment Squadron, the 2nd Bombardment Group. Sam was awarded the following medals, Purple Heart, Air, Prisoner of War, Good Conduct, American Campaign, European African-Middle Eastern Campaign with four bronze stars and WWII Victory. He was also a member of the Caterpillar Club, (which was an exclusive club of air crewmen who had to bail out of the plane, known as "hitting the silk"). Sam was a prisoner of war from August 22nd, 1944 to April 29th, 1945. He spent four months in a Hungarian military hospital recovering from a leg wound. The balance of the time until liberation was spent in four prisoner of war camps in Germany: Dulag Luft, Wetzlar, Stalag 13D Nurnberg and Stalag 7A Moosburg. Sam was a member of St. Michael's Church, Tilden Township, serving on Consistory for six years and as financial secretary for 20 years. He was a member of the Hamburg American Legion Post #637, Hamburg V.F.W, Post #216, Chapter 190 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Lehigh Valley, D.A.V. Chapter #10. Two sons, Alan R. Wentzel, Loveland, Ohio, Keith D. Wentzel, Upper Tulpehocken Township, a daughter Diane S. wife of Keith Hawkins, Virginville, and two granddaughters Elaina and Jenna Hawkins, and one sister, Marian Solt, Walnutport, survive Sam. He was predeceased by four sisters, Mildred Henne, Helen Shollenberger, Elsie Faust, and Beulah Miller and by three brothers, Norman, Sealon and Ray who was Killed In Action during WWII. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 7th at 11:30 AM. at St. Michael's Church, 529 St. Michael's Church Road, Hamburg, Pa. 19526. A viewing will be held from 10:00 AM until time of service. Burial will follow in St. Michael's Cemetery with full military honors provided by Ray Master Post #217, Topton and the Department of the Air Force. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Michael's Church at the above address or Chapter 190 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Room 123, 17 South 7th Street, Allentown, PA, 18101. The Burkey & Driscoll Funeral Home, Inc. 40 S. 4th Street, Hamburg is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.burkeydriscoll.com