Lieutenant Frank Edward Budenholzer, USAAF

Frank Edward Budenholzer was born June 14, 1914 in Colorado to Joseph P. and Mary Budenholzer. By 1930 his family was living in Belen, New Mexico where his father worked as an electrician. He graduated from Belen HS in 1932 and entered NMAMAC in the fall of 1933. He attended school from 1933 to 1937 studying engineering. The 1940 census indicated he was working as the time supervisor for a WPA project. In June 1941 he enlisted in the USAAF from Salt Lake City Utah. After training as a Navigator he was assigned to the 71st Bomb Squadron, 38th Bomb Group as navigator aboard a B-26 Marauder bomber. On March 21, 1942, while taking off from the Memphis, Tennessee airport, B-26 # 40-1531 stalled on takeoff and crashed, killing 5 of the 7 crew members. Lieutenant Frank Budenholzer’s remains were returned to his hometown and buried at Our Lady of Belen Memorial Garden. He was 27 years of age at the time of his death.