Lawrence Wild

Technician Fifth Class Lawrence H. Wild was born February 21, 1921. He attended Camden High School and was employed by the Radio Condenser Company. He married Dorothy May and they had a daughter, Sandra. He entered the Army in 1942 and trained at Fort Dix. He went overseas in September 1944 with General Simpson’s Ninth Army.

Lawrence Wild was killed in action in Germany on April 22, 1945 — five days after his wife gave birth to twin daughters, Renee May and Valerie Ann. He never knew he had become the father of twins. He was 24 years old. He was survived by his wife Dorothy May and their three daughters; his father William Wild, of Tyler Avenue; brothers William and Richard; and sisters Myrtle, Mrs. Edna Winkle, Mrs. Mabel DeMarcy, Mrs. Elizabeth Cook, and Mrs. Lena Amme.

After the war, Corporal Wild’s body was returned to the United States and he was buried at Beverly National Cemetery in Beverly NJ.

Cpl. Lawrence Never Knew Of Recent Birth Of Girls

Cpl. Lawrence Wild, 24, of 2732 Tyler Avenue, who became the father of twin girls April 17th, never knew he was blessed with a double blessed event — he was killed in action five days later on the blood-soaked soil of Germany.

His death, one of four reported yesterday, came in the form of a War Department telegram to his wife Dorothy May, at 4:00 PM. Three others were reported missing in action, seven as wounded, and two previously held prisoner by the Germans have been liberated.

In all cases, next of kin have previously have been notified, and in case of divergence from this list, the last word sent next of kin is always the appropriate final authority.

The telegram on Corporal Wild’s death reached his wife only a few hours after a note and a parcel from him containing a gift for his newborn.

Corporal Wild was with General Simpson’s Ninth Army and was aware he was to become a father again about April 17. He cabled his wife flowers which she received April 18. A month ago she received from him a package containing two pair of red shoes for his two-year-old daughter, Sandra, and two pairs of brown shoes for the expected child.

The parcel yesterday held a flannel jacket for the expected baby, a pocketbook for Sandra and perfume for Mrs. Wild, postcard pictures of Brussels and a note:

“Dear baby — Here is a little something for you and all my love.” It was signed “Daddy,” and had been sent from Holland.

News that he was a father of twins, and a photograph of the twins, Renee May, and Valerie Ann, published in the Courier-Post Newspapers on April 26, were sent that day to Corporal Wild by his wife. The letter, presumably, is still enroute to the battlefront.

Mrs. Wild also a month ago received from her husband a Nazi officer’s sword with a gold ruby-studded figurehead. He wrote her that he would tell her how he “managed to get it” when he would see her again.

Corporal Wild had been overseas since last September. He had been in the Army nearly three years, and was trained at Fort Dix. He married in 1940 before entering the service. He attended Camden High School and was a former employee of the Radio Condenser Company. Mrs. Wild is now living with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sundstrand at 819 North 30th Street.

In addition to his wife and three children, Corporal Wild is survived by his father William, of the Tyler Avenue address, two brothers, William and Richard, who was discharged from the Army a year ago because of a broken foot, and five sisters. They are Myrtle, Mrs. Edna Winkle, Mrs. Mabel DeMarcy, all of Camden, Mrs. Elizabeth Cook, of Delair, and Mrs. Lena Amme, of Merchantville.