Lieutenant Lowell Dean Oberly
United Sates Air Corp.
Born May 24, 1921
Commissioned, May 24, 1943
Graduated from East Canton High School in 1939
Based on local information and military records, Lt. Oberly was the first service man from Osnaburg Township and the East Canton Community to die during WWII.
Research of military records show that Lt. Oberly was assigned to the 97th Bomber Squadron, 15th Allied Air Force. Lt Oberly was the pilot of a B-17 Fortress known as the “LUCKY LADY”. After completing 46 missions over Greece, Austria, France, Italy and Germany his plane was shot down over Italy on January 22, 1944. Both Lt. Oberly and his co-pilot were killed in the crash. Lt. Oberly would have been 22 years old at the time. Originally considered MIA, he was declared dead 10 months later by the Army. Eventually his body was found and Lt. Oberly was buried in the American Cemetery in Rome Italy.
A letter from one of Lt. Oberly’s crew members (Mr. Joseph Bauer) tail gunner during that mission states that the two pilots kept the plane in the air long enough to allow other crew members enough time to exit the plane. Mr. Bauer was captured and spent 18-months in prison before returning to Portsmouth Ohio. Mr. Bauer died 2-days short of his 100th birthday.
For his heroic actions in combat, Lt. Oberly was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Today you will see that the East Canton American Legion Post 667 is and will remain named after Lt. Lowell Dean Oberly.
Osnaburg Historical Society 