Fredericka Truemper

  "Walter Truemper was deeply devoted to his mother, who was in poor health and was confined to a wheel chair. Seeing an opportunity for a personal 'good-bye' gesture, he instructed his sister Ann to have their mother waiting near the sitting room window at a certain time on the afternoon of the flight. He said Mrs. Truemper would know his plane because it's shadow would fly right into her lap. Truemper's calculations were right on the mark. Nelson carefully flew the detour his navigator called for. The shadow of the plane moved quickly through the leafless trees, up the long back lawn, and in through the framed glass. Nelson circled around, and the shadow found the navigator's mother again. It filled Mrs. Truemper's heart with joy to have her son so close, and to see how well he did his job. At the same time, she felt a great sadness.

      "Her boy was going to war."* 

http://www.homeofheroes.com/wings/part2/15_bigweek.html

Six weeks after the last flight of Ten Horsepower Walter Truemper's mother was notified that her son would be awarded the Medal of Honor. Because she was too ill to travel to Washington, D.C. to receive the award from the President, Brigadier General R. E. O'Neal traveled to her home in Aurora. On July 4, 1944, the family gathered on the lawn outside the home and Mr. Fredericka Truemper was carried outside and placed in a rocking chair by sons Fred and Carl. After recounting the heroism and sacrifice of Lieutenant Walter Truemper General O'Neal bent forward and hung the Medal of Honor around her neck. There it sparkled in the sunshine, adding its reflection to that of the navigators wings Mrs. Truemper had pinned to her blouse, as well as the reflection of the Independence Day sunshine on the tears that streamed down her face.

http://records.ancestry.com.au/Friedricka_Engel_records.ashx?pid=30...