WWII Veteran In Paramus Wants 102 Cards For His 102nd B-Day

PARAMUS, NJ – A World War II hero in Paramus is about to hit a big milestone and he’s hoping others can help him celebrate.

Michael Diederich turns 102 on Nov. 20 and his birthday wish is to receive 102 cards. It’s a dream that his assisted living home is trying to make come true.

CareOne at the Cupola recently posted a picture on Facebook of Diederich with a sign, that says: “Happy Veteran’s Day! Hello, my name is Michael David Diederich. I am a WWII Veteran who served as a nose gunner & bombardier in a B24 bomber. I completed over 35 missions over Germany.”

“Nov. 20, 2019, is my 102nd birthday. I would love to receive 102 birthday cards!” he wrote.

Stationed in Norwich, England the B-24 bomber “Dorothy K Special” completed its missions with the same exact crew over a year’s time. After the war, he entertained the troops with his marionette act as part of the USO Show Teams in Asia and the South Pacific.

Diederich’s show business career consisted of his main act “Dietrich and Diane” which was a marionette act including a Punch and Judy, sailors, ice skaters and at some shows even a striptease.

He moved to New York City, attended photography school and produced the series “Adventures of Blinkie”. His show business career traveled him around the country, performing sometimes two or three shows a day with hours of travel in between. “Dietrich and Diane” continued to perform until the mid-seventies, mainly during the holiday season and performing for grammar schools.

In 1953 at the age of 33, he married 20-year old Dorothy Elizabeth Schaffner. She was a professional singer and one of the “Four Sapphires” on the Allen Dale Show. After a six week honeymoon to Mexico the couple moved to Westchester, NY and then settled in Stony Point, New York where they raised their six children.

The couple ran “Dietrich’s Fisherman’s Dude Ranch”, “Dietrich’s Fish and Swim”, then ultimately “Dietrich’s Swim Club” from 1964 to 1989. In addition to this summertime member-only club, he spent many years as a Real Estate agent. He was an active member of the Stony Point Lion’s Club, president of the Stony Point Businessman’s Association, and in the 1990s was part of the planning board for the Patriot Hills Golf Club.

They now reside in Paramus.

Some of the loves of his life: his wife, his family including 13 grandchildren and 1 great granddaughter and friends. He is a fan of the New York Giants and New York Yankees.

Birthday cards can be mailed to Michael Diederich, CareOne at the Cupola, 100 W. Ridgewood Ave., Paramus, NJ 07652.

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