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Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class Warren William Engelhardt

A young White man looking left.
  • Service Number: 230647
  • Date of Birth: January 3, 1920
  • Entered the Military: October 9, 1941
  • Date of Death: August 7, 1946
  • Hometown: Bancroft, Nebraska
  • Place of Death: North of Point Arena, California
  • Award(s): American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal
  • Cemetery: Tablets of the Missing. West Coast Memorial, San Francisco, California
Contributed by Mrs. Katherine Grider
Ector High School, Ector, Texas
2025/2026

Early Life

Warren William Engelhardt was born to Anna L. (Mackey) and William G. Engelhardt in Logan Township, Nebraska, on January 3, 1920. He was the third of eight children and their first son. His younger sister Joyce preceded him in death as an infant. He worked on his father’s family farm before joining the Coast Guard. 

Education

Engelhardt attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, where he was baptized by Pastor William Haarms on February 22, 1920.  He received confirmation from Pastor W.E. Homann on May 20, 1934, at the age of 14. He faithfully attended Sunday school, where he continued his religious education.  

He received his education at the local Public School 21, where he attended through the eighth grade. Engelhardt and his siblings applied for tuition assistance for attendance at Bancroft High School, from which he would eventually graduate.

According to local newspapers, Engelhardt was very active in the 4H Club as Secretary and participated in several livestock events. He was also in a high school theatre production of Man in Black. He was socially active, winning the best Halloween mask and being acknowledged as a “merry worker” for helping around the school in 1933.

The Engelhart family living in Cuming County, Nebraska, in 1920. Warren, Sr., immigrated from Germany to Nebraska. National Archives and Records Administration.
The Engelhart family living in Cuming County, Nebraska, in 1930. National Archives and Records Administration.

Homefront

Logan Township is a small, rural village surrounded by rivers, flatlands, and agricultural land. It is located northwest of Omaha on the eastern side of Nebraska. Many of the local families were corn farmers or raised livestock. Bancroft was the closest town to Engelhardt’s township. 

Modernization with the Times 

In the years leading up to World War II, this rural state saw modern advances thanks to New Deal funding. According to local newspapers, these included electrical lines running to farms. New businesses opened, including a service station in Skelly and a bowling alley in Bancroft. Additionally, paved roads, concrete sidewalks, and future bridge sites were laid. 

War Industries 

Nebraska’s location and civilian population would be key factors in the war effort, along with the 137,754 residents who served directly.  The Martin Bomber Plant rose to prominence, producing rifles, ammunition, and aircraft in support of the war effort. Many airfields would be built in the region because the landscape and climate provided an ideal location for the war effort in the air.  Both offered a shield from potential attacks of coastal locations. Likewise, Fort Robinson became known for its K-9 training center for dogs donated to serve in the war effort. Nebraska helped end World War II through the production of the Enola Gay.

Community Effort

Although many Nebraskans proudly served their country during World War II, many came from urban areas, as roughly 80 percent of those in the farming occupation were deferred from service. Small-town Nebraskans supported the war effort through numerous fundraisers supported by the state or mandated nationally. Local conservation efforts included carrying groceries home instead of using paper bags, converting cotton sacks into clothing, purchasing ration cards, and creating Victory Gardens. Local farmers continued producing corn.

World War II in Nebraska

Support for the war took many forms. At the University of Minnesota, Dr. Ansel Keyes — the inventor of K-ration meals for GIs — was commissioned to find out how millions of starving refugees in Europe and Asia could be brought back to health after the war. He asked for volunteers from conscientious objector (CO) units. The volunteers were starved, studied, and then fed back to health. Two hundred COs volunteered, and thirty-six were chosen for the project. The results of the research have been used by relief workers in hunger crises ever since. Draft evaders who were caught would be sent to Omaha for sentencing. 

Local branches of the Victory Belles, United Service Organizations, and North Platte Canteen supported soldiers by sending care packages and providing food and water along railroad stops. 

Other Nebraskans, like John Falter, used their artistic talents to paint propaganda and recruitment posters throughout the war.

Community Changes

With the start of the war and the emergence of new industries, population changes and job openings followed. Men flocked to the cities to work in factories. Many women who worked on the farms soon sought factory positions that offered higher pay. The Martin Bomber Plant would be recognized as the largest recruiter of women wartime workers in Nebraska.

As farm laborers went off to war, the vacancies were supplemented with German Prisoners of War (POWs) from local camps.  Many of these POWs returned to Nebraska after the war to live. 

Although they faced discrimination, African Americans sought jobs at factories, oftentimes moving to Nebraska from other states.

A map of properties in Logan Township, Nebraska, 1908. William Engelhart, Sr.’s property is visible near the number 2 on the map. Library of Congress (2008622188).
A three-page document from the Nebraska Advisory Defense Committee establishing the Victory Belles, February 19, 1942. State of Nebraska.
A three-page document from the Nebraska Advisory Defense Committee establishing the Victory Belles, February 19, 1942. State of Nebraska.
A three-page document from the Nebraska Advisory Defense Committee establishing the Victory Belles, February 19, 1942. State of Nebraska.
K-9 training at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, c.1943. Nebraska State Historical Society (RG2452).

Military Experience

At the age of 21, Engelhardt traveled to the Coast Guard enlistment office in Omaha, Nebraska. Mere months before the attack on Pearl Harbor and the official U.S. entry into the war, on October 9, 1941, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard. His first destination was Port Townsend, Washington. Three days later, he attended training, after which he was sent to his first duty station on a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter.

California 

Engelhardt served the bulk of his military service in California at the San Francisco Air Station, where he served from January 7, 1941, until his death. While stationed there, he worked on search-and-rescue missions, patrolled the coast, and transported goods to Hawai’i or Alaska. In 1942, Engelhardt passed his entrance exams for the Air Corps, which qualified him for pilot training. He flew on a Consolidated Patrol Bomber (PBY) Catalina, also known as a flying boat, which was used to transport building supplies and personnel to the Aleutian Islands to establish the first Long Range Navigation (LORAN) stations.

A Deadly Day 

August 7, 1946, was an ordinary day for Engelhardt. He and his five crewmates prepared for a search-and-rescue mission for a cargo ship that had been two days overdue and feared lost. No word had been received regarding its status. Shortly after take-off, the PBY Catalina that Engelhart was flying exploded off the coast of Point Arena, California, and crashed into the Pacific Ocean, killing everyone on board.  Of the six on board, only two bodies were recovered. The remaining, including Engelhardt, rest at sea.

Unbeknownst to Engelhardt and his crew, the missing cargo ship had docked at a different port earlier due to strong wind concerns. The cause of the Catalina’s explosion would never be discovered.

Warren Engelhardt’s World War II draft registration card, July 1, 1941. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration.
Warren Engelhardt’s enlistment contract with the U.S. Coast Guard, signed October 9, 1941. Official Military Personnel File – National Archives and Records Administration in St. Louis.
Engelhardt’s service record shows his postings in California during World War II. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. Official Military Personnel File – National Archives and Records Administration in St. Louis.

Commemoration

Despite Coast Guard efforts in the days that followed, weather conditions prevented them from finding the wreckage of the Catalina or its remaining crew members. 

Burial at Sea

To this day, Engelhardt and his crew remain lost at sea. His name is etched on the West Coast Memorial in California. Although he entered as an apprentice seaman, Engelhardt rose through the ranks, reaching his final rank of aviation machinist’s mate first class on February 1, 1946, six months before his death.

Final Services

Engelhardt was survived by his parents and siblings. A service was held in his hometown on November 16, 1946, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. In addition to family, members of the American Legion attended. Pastor W. E. Homann officiated the service. Engelhardt is remembered locally with an inscription on his parents’ gravestone. He was 26 years of age at the time of his death.

Report of the PBY-Catalina plane that killed Engelhardt and five other crew members. The Press Democrat, August 8, 1946.
Newspaper article about the search for the missing Coast Guard crew. Oakland Tribune, August 8, 1946.
Story of Warren Engelhardt’s death and memorial service in Nebraska. West Point News, November 21, 1946.
Warren Engelhardt is memorialized on his parents’ grave at Bancroft Cemetery in Cuming Township, Nebraska. Find a Grave.
Warren W. Engelhardt’s name on West Coast Memorial in San Francisco, California, 2026. Courtesy of the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“4-H Club.” The Bancroft Blade [Bancroft, Nebraska], March 18, 1937. Newspapers.com (668496289).

“Annual Bridge Contract for Year 1942.” Cuming County Democrat [West Point, Nebraska], January 1, 1942. Newspapers.com (765397921).

“Applicants for High School Tuition.” Cuming County Democrat [West Point, Nebraska], July 8, 1937. Newspapers.com (765393888).

“Applicants for High School Tuition.” Cuming County Democrat [West Point, Nebraska], July 11, 1935. Newspapers.com (765390173).

“Bancroft News – Enlists in Coast Guard.” West Point News [West Point, Nebraska], October 16, 1941. Newspapers.com (772317184).

“District 21 Henrietta Schneider, Teacher.” The Wisner News-Chronicle [Wisner, Nebraska], November 9, 1933. Newspapers.com (766183283).

Do With Less so They have Enough. Poster. c.1939-1945. Nebraska State Historical Society. (RG2843.PH0-000002). https://nebraska.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_b5de398b-ea66-4d9b-b3be-b0695713d1e1/. 

Don’t Waste Fat! Poster. c.1939-1945. Nebraska State Historical Society (RG2843.PH0-000193). https://nebraska.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_ed4e4802-3a64-4f46-86eb-b0787598ad66/. 

“Draft Evader Held.” Cuming County Democrat [West Point, Nebraska], June 25, 1942. Newspapers.com (765666187).

“Electricity Aids Farm Operations.” The Beemer Times [Beemer, Nebraska], June 20, 1940. Newspapers.com (671915038).

“Engelhardt Killed in Plane Crash – Memorial Held Saturday at Bancroft.” West Point News [West Point, Nebraska], November 21, 1946. Newspapers.com (772518705).

Four K-9 Corps dogs and their trainer at Fort Robinson. Photograph. c.1943. Nebraska State Historical Society (RG2452.PH000002-000002). https://nebraska.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_562e7345-8dda-4016-a8da-85f4fd05557c/. 

“From Our Exchanges.” Cuming County Democrat [West Point, Nebraska], October 23, 1941. Newspapers.com (765397750).

Grand Opening. Advertisement. Cuming County Democrat [West Point, Nebraska], June 13, 1940. Newspapers.com (765394865).

Griswold, Dwight, Grant Mcfayden, and Wade Martin. n.d. Nebraska Advisory Defense Committee. https://govdocs.nebraska.gov/epubs/M2500/N001-1942n6.pdf.

“Junior Class Play.” The West Point Republican [West Point, Nebraska], November 12, 1936. Newspapers.com  (772359323).

“Lesson in cooperation from small towns.” West Point News [West Point, Nebraska], May 04, 1944. Newspapers.com (772318334).

“More Improvements.” The Bancroft Blade [Bancroft, Nebraska], September 2, 1943. Newspapers.com (668493353).

Nebraska. Cuming County. 1920 U.S. Census. Digital Images. http://ancestryclassroom.com.

Nebraska. Cuming County. 1930 U.S. Census. Digital Images. http://ancestryclassroom.com.

“New Hardware Store For Beemer.” Cuming County Democrat [West Point, Nebraska], September 2, 1943. Newspapers.com (765667886).

“News From Our Boys in Service.” Bancroft Blade [Bancroft, Nebraska], October 1, 1942. Newspapers.com (668413730).

“News From Our Boys in Uniform.” Cuming County Democrat [West Point, Nebraska], July 23, 1942. Newspapers.com (765666336).

“Proclamation.” West Point News [West Point, Nebraska], October 14, 1943. Newspapers.com (772523009).

“Rites For Warren W. Engelhardt.” Cuming County Democrat [West Point, Nebraska], November 21, 1946. Newspapers.com (765496145).

“Search Pressed For Victims of Plane Crash.” Oakland Tribune [Oakland, California], August 8, 1946. Newspapers.com (205412825).

“Service Notes.” West Point News [West Point, Nebraska], November 1, 1945. Newspapers.com (772319334).

“Seventh War Loan.” Cuming County Democrat [West Point, Nebraska], May 17, 1945. Newspapers.com (65486345).

“St. Paul Services For Confirmation.” The West Point Republican [West Point, Nebraska], May 24, 1934. Newspapers.com (772314039).

Standard Atlas of Cuming County, Nebraska. Geo. A. Ogle & Co., 1908. Library of Congress (2008622188). https://www.loc.gov/item/2008622188/.

Victory Food Bombs and Grow a Garden. Posters. c.1939-1945. Nebraska State Historical Society. (RG2843.PH0-000140). https://nebraska.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_830fd9dd-62cc-4740-9e05-d20ef6426c69/.

Warren W. Engelhart. Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Coast Guard. National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Warren Engelhardt. Nebraska, U.S., Birth Ledgers, 1904-1911 Birth Index, 1912-2004. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

“Warren Engelhardt, A Casualty in P-B-Y Plane Accident.” Bancroft Blade [Bancroft, Nebraska], August 15, 1946. Newspapers.com (668495781).

Warren William Engelhardt. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

Secondary Sources

“Air Station San Francisco Mission.” U.S. Coast Guard. Updated 2016. Accessed March 31, 2026. https://www.pacificarea.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Southwest-District/District-Units/Air-Station-San-Francisco/Mission/.

“Alvin Albert Engelhardt.” Find a Grave. Updated February 26, 2011. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66158994/alvin-albert-engelhardt.

“AMM1 Warren W. Engelhardt.” Find a Grave. Updated August 5, 2010. Accessed March 31, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55904265/warren-w-engelhardt. 

“Beola L. Engelhardt.” Find a Grave. Updated August 11, 2010. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56933466/beola-l.-engelhardt.

“Conscientious Objectors.” Nebraska Studies. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/nebraskans-on-the-front-lines/conscientious-objectors/.

Cuming County, Nebraska Comprehensive Plan. Updated 2020. Accessed December 5, 2025. https://cumingcountyne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Cuming-COUNTY-COMPREHENSIVE-PLAN-120120.pdf.

“George Mackey.” Find a Grave. Updated July 21, 2010. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55248063/george-mackey.

“Howard Henry Engelhardt.” Find a Grave. Updated August 11, 2010. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56933481/howard-henry-engelhardt.

“John Falter Painting for Victory.” Nebraska Studies. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/on-the-home-front/john-falter-painting-for-victory/.

“Joyce Mae Engelhardt.” Find a Grave. Updated August 11, 2010. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56933495/joyce-mae-engelhardt.

“The Martin Plant and Women.” Nebraska Studies. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/arsenal-for-democracy/the-martin-plant-and-women/.

“Nebraska & World War II: Pearl Harbor.” Nebraska Studies. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/nebraska-wwii-pearl-harbor/.

“Nebraska’s Army Air Fields, Boom Times & Celebrities.” Nebraska Studies. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/nebraskans-on-the-front-lines/nebraskas-army-air-fields-boom-times-celebrities/.

“On the Home Front.” Nebraska Studies. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/on-the-home-front/.

“Pearl Engelhardt Hartrick.” Find a Grave. Updated September 30, 2010. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59416291/pearl-hartrick.

“PO Warren William Engelhardt.” Find a Grave. Accessed October 8, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56933508/warren-william-engelhardt.

Pratt, William C. “Change, Continuity, and Context in Nebraska History, 1940-1960.” Nebraska History 77 (1996): 45-54. https://history.nebraska.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/doc_publications_NH1996Change.pdf.

“Raw Recruits.” Nebraska Studies. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/nebraskans-on-the-front-lines/raw-recruits/.

Sorensen, C.A. “Rural Electrification: A Story of Social Pioneering.” Nebraska History 25 (1944): 257-270. http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/NH1944Electrification.pdf.

“Warren W. Engelhardt.” American Battle Monuments Commission. Accessed October 30, 2025. https://weremember.abmc.gov/s?q=*&criteria=title%3DEngelhardt~first_name%3DWarren~middle_name%3DW.~entry_state%3DNebraska~branch%3DU.S.%20Coast%20Guard~war%3DWWII&type=16&v=G.

“Warren W. Engelhardt.” The Bancroft Blade [Bancroft, Nebraska], November 21, 1946. Newspapers.com (668495969).

“Warren W. Engelhardt.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed October 30, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/WarrenWEngelhardt/25B71.

“William Dennis Engelhardt.” Find a Grave. Updated September 29, 2010. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59405537/william-dennis-engelhardt.

“Women Join the Military.” Nebraska Studies. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/nebraskans-on-the-front-lines/women-join-the-military/.

“Work Details Away from the Camp.” Nebraska Studies. Accessed November 20, 2025. https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1925-1949/pows-far-from-the-battleground/work-details-away-from-the-camp/.

This profile was researched and created through the Researching Silent Heroes program, sponsored by the American Battle Monuments Commission.