Decorated World War II Veteran Mourned In Eastern Montco

ROCKLEDGE BOROUGH, PA —Abington Township is mourning the loss of a decorated World War II veteran who has recently died at the age of 99.

A "Celebration of Life" will occur at 10 a.m. on Saturday for Helmut Boehm at Wetzel Funeral Home, 419 Huntingdon Pk. followed by a religious service inside the funeral home at 11 a.m.

Rockledge Police Chief John Gallagher said Boehm was a well-respected, decorated veteran of World War II and a longtime Rockledge resident.

"He'll be missed, but never forgotten," the police chief said.

Gallagher said he was honored to represent the Rockledge Police Department and borough, along with Mayor Jim Caffrey and Councilman Dave Sheppard at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, where full military honors were given at Boehm's interment.

"On behalf of our department, I'd like to take this opportunity to offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Boehm's family once again," the chief said. "We're so sorry for your loss."

Helmut Manfred (Fred) Boehm passed away at Holy Redeemer Hospital on June 10, according to his obituary written by his family.

Boehm was born on the second floor of a typical nondescript house in the village of Herold in the rolling countryside of the Erzgebirge region of Saxony on April 6, 1925.

His family moved to the Olney section of Philadelphia when he was 3.

He was a newspaper delivery boy for the “Philadelphia Ledger” worked at a corner neighborhood Italian meat market and volunteered as a school safety guard, which offered him the benefits of seeing his favorite baseball team, the Philadelphia Athletics, in action at Shibe Park.

After graduating from Olney High School, Boehm was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943.

After Boot Camp and specialized training for the duties he would actively employ in combat areas, he served as an Ambulance Orderly (Private First Class) in the 479th Motor Ambulance Company.

Deployed less than a month after D-Day 1944, he commenced his service during the heavy Operation Overlord combat through the Hedgerows of Normandy, France.

Driving an ambulance into combat areas, he continually transported the wounded from the battlefield to evacuation airstrips and field hospitals, providing emergency treatments, administering necessary injections, blood plasma, and medications, including morphine, and applying bandages until the wounded were successfully evacuated to safety.

He continued these duties until liberating the Buchenwald Concentration Camp near the end of the war.

He saw action in Northern France, Belgium and the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) the Rhineland (Remagen Bridge) and Germany.

Boehm was awarded the Bronze Star for his voluntary participation in a night mission to evacuate wounded trapped behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest in November 1944.

After the cessation of hostilities, he was tasked with the evacuation of many refugees fleeing the Soviet Army in Eastern Europe.

He returned to his family on Christmas Eve, 1945. His first job was as an industrial painter, painting bridges, subway tunnels, and various other structures at height.

As for community service and hobbies, he was Past Master of a local Masonic Lodge, was a leading Tenor in the local Men's Singing Chorus known as the Franklinville, was an active member of the Steuben Society and never shrank from the challenge of bringing the images found in thousand piece jigsaw puzzles to life.

Boehm was the youngest son of the late Oskar and Anna Boehm. He is husband to the late Elfriede Edith (Schwarzkopf). He is the Brother in Law to Navy Veteran Gerhard Lincoln Schwarzkopf, who lives in Florida. He is brother to his late sister Hilda (Late Husband: William Woehr) and late brother Heinz Boehm (Late Wife:Martha). He is father to son Gerald (Wife Shirley) and daughter Cheryl (Husband: Taher Khalil). He is the Grandfather to Justin Boehm, Timothy Boehm, Christian Boehm, Samer Khalil, Omar Khalil and Ameer Khalil. He is Great Grandfather to Cassian Everett Boehm, son of Christian and Wife Stephanie.

He was a long-time member of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church located in the Somerton neighborhood of northeast Philadelphia and will be sadly missed.

Relatives and friends are invited to his visitation on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and celebration of life service at 11 a.m. at Wetzel and Son Funeral Home, 419 Huntingdon Pike, Rockledge, PA 19046.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Tunnels to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306