Farewell to World War II Veteran, Lt. Edward “Bud” Berthold

Quick answer: Who was Lt. Edward “Bud” Berthold?

Bud Berthold was a World War II B-24 Liberator pilot with the 702nd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, at Tibenham, England. He flew thirty-five combat missions in 1944, including D-Day strikes on bridges like Saint-Lô, and later flew the Fort Worth Maid. He died at 106.

Mark Finnegan, founder of VetsRoll, called John with the news: Bud Berthold had died at 106. John had last seen him six months earlier at a veterans luncheon in Dundee, Illinois, alert and generous with his time, shaking hands like a man with work still to do. Bud flew the B-24 Liberator with the 702nd Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, out of Tibenham, England. Thirty-five combat missions in 1944. On D-Day his group hit V-1 sites and bridges, including the span at Saint-Lô, so German reinforcements couldn't reach the beaches. On September 27, 1944, over Kassel, the 445th lost twenty-five Liberators in six minutes. Whether Bud was in that formation or staring at empty hardstands the next morning, those were his squadron mates. He carried them quietly the rest of his life. His secret to longevity was simple: “Stay active.” Fewer than 50,000 WWII veterans remain. John's ask: find one this weekend, sit down, and ask. Don't rush.

Why it matters for leaders: The last of the Greatest Generation are still waiting for someone to ask; listening is a way to serve them.

Q: What was Bud's secret to a long life?

A: He told John at a veterans luncheon in Dundee, Illinois: “Stay active.”

Q: What happened to the 445th Bomb Group over Kassel?

A: On September 27, 1944, it lost twenty-five Liberators in six minutes, a loss no other 8th Air Force B-24 group equaled.

Read the full essay on Substack → https://heroespath.substack.com/p/farewell-to-world-war-ii-veteran

By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation