Biography
Year at ISU: 1945
Second Lieutenant Reed Lynn Pietscher was born on January 19, 1922 to Walter H. Pietscher and Hattie H. Schlotfeldt. He grew up in Princeton, Iowa.
Reed entered the service in December 1942 in Des Moines, Iowa and received his wings and commission on March 12, 1944.
His mother wrote the following letter to the Alumni Association president, dated October 16, 1945:
"Dear Mr. Barron,
I am very sorry to inform your that our beloved son Reed has been missing in action since April 18th, 1945 according to a government report. Reed was a fighter pilot on a P-38 in the northern Philippines. At that time, our other son Rondo was near Reed's base and he informed us Reed lost his life and that there could not be any hope. His plane was hit by enemy ground fire after which crashed and burned, nothing has ever been found up to this time.
Sincerely, Mrs. Walter Pietscher, Princeton, Iowa."
Lieutenant Pietscher's official date and place of death is April 14, 1945 over Luzon, Philippines. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.