On April 26, 1946, a highly decorated World War II pilot, Captain Lawrence Ritter, crashed in a freak snowstorm in the area near Slate Run, in northwestern Lycoming County. He has been virtually forgotten by history, except, of course, to his own family and friends. Three men from the VFW Benefit Center in Lock Haven have sought to rescue Ritter from obscurity and have organized an event to commemorate his memory on Thursday, April 26, the 72nd anniversary of Ritter’s tragic death.

Back in December 2017, Lock Haven resident Randy Gillen was telling Dave Bower, ADSO, who runs the VFW Benefit Center at 20 Bellefonte Avenue, Lock Haven, about a World War II pilot named Captain Lawrence J. Ritter, whose plane crashed in the mountains north of Williamsport due to a freak snowstorm on April 26, 1946. It was seven months until he was found, despite multiple ground and aerial searches by the Army and civilian volunteers. Randy first learned about it after reading a copy of “Mountain Home Magazine” dated May 2009. In the article, it explained how it was all but forgotten, until the Boy Scouts from Lycoming County area rediscovered the site, and raised money to place a memorial stone there in June 2001.

“Dave Bower, who runs the VFW Benefit Center and is my work study supervisor, asked me to research Captain Ritter’s history, and I managed to learn an incredible amount of facts about him,” Rick Bressler, one of the organizers of the event, who also works at the VFW Vets Benefit Center, told “Webb Weekly.” “I had to piece a lot of his history with old newspaper archives I located, as well as reaching out to multiple sources in New York, Michigan, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.”

The research by Bressler produced the following biographical information about Captain Lawrence Ritter, who was a highly decorated World War II pilot.

He was born on June 25, 1919, and was academically and athletically advanced while growing up in the Yonkers, New York area. He participated in both football and track. He won the 100-yard dash in 1940 Penn Relays with a time of 9.9 seconds.

He graduated from Roosevelt High School, Yonkers, NY in 1937, and proceeded to attend Dartmouth College from 1937-1941, until being drafted into the Army in August 1941, during his senior year of college. Four months later, upon his request, he transferred into the Army Air Corp. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in, August 1942, and made Captain by August 1943.

He shot down more than 13 enemy aircraft during the early part of the North African Campaign, as well as other enemy aircraft during the European Theatre of Operations in Germany and occupied France. He is also credited with sinking a Nazi-sub in 1943.

He flew more than 55 combat missions. His final combat aircraft was a P-47 Thunderbolt, which he named “Lady Eve IV.”

Ritter was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal, with multiple oak leaf clusters. He was part of the 325th Fighter Group, 319 Fighter Squadron.

He was married, however as far as can be determined, he has no surviving children. His wife’s name was Eve.

“Other people have tried to locate surviving family with no success,” Bressler said. “Fortunately, I was lucky and managed to locate his niece, Janice Lariviere, who currently lives in Centerville, Massachusetts. I have been in contact with her, and we have developed a friendship through my research. She and her husband Scott will be attending the events we are hosting to honor her uncle.”

Bressler gave a schedule of events for the commemoration on April 26. Those interested in attending the commemoration at the crash site where Ritter’s plane went down can meet in the parking lot in back of the VFW Vets Center in Lock Haven at 11 a.m. They expect to depart from there between 11:15 and 11:20 and have a convoy of vehicles go to the crash site, near Slate Run. They will then stop in a parking area, about ¾ to 1.5 miles from the crash site and can then hike into the site.

Bressler said this is the first time since 2001 that anyone has visited the crash site. At the crash site, at about 1:00 p.m., a small, commemorative memorial service will be held to honor Ritter’s memory as well as his distinguished service to our country.

Following the completion of the commemorative service, everyone will then return to Lock Haven for a reception at the Creekside Restaurant at 5:00 p.m. that same day with hors-d’oeuvres provided, hosted by the VFW Benefit Center, 20 Bellefonte Ave, Lock Haven, Pa.

Bressler concluded by saying, “It has been an honor, and I believe it is one of the most important projects I have ever been a part of.”

For any questions about this event contact the VFW Veterans Benefit Center at (570) 748-5929.