Arthur William Bachman.
By Joseph Fagan
Special to the Chronicle
West Orange Mayor Susan McCartney recently received a heartfelt message from the Netherlands regarding a West Orange resident who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II.
Franco and Monique Peters Vaessen shared that they have adopted the grave for perpetual care of former township resident Arthur William Bachman at the American Cemetery and Memorial at Margraten in the Netherlands.
The cemetery is the final resting place of 8,301 World War II American soldiers and was visited by President George W. Bush in 2005.
Their outreach to McCartney carries a simple but powerful purpose. They seek help in locating any surviving family members of Arthur Bachman.
They want to ensure the family knows that Arthur Bachman is still remembered, honored, and cared for thousands of miles from West Orange and 81 years after his death.
Bachman’s name appears on the West Orange Honor Roll inside Town Hall and on the WWII Memorial at Veterans Park. He is also the namesake of Bachman Terrace in West Orange
Bachman once lived on Watchung Avenue and Lindsley Avenue in West Orange and had two younger brothers, Stanley and Walter.
He graduated from West Orange High School in 1941. His yearbook quote read, “I follow the line of least resistance.” What may have once reflected youthful simplicity now carries a far deeper and more poignant meaning, as he ultimately gave his life in service to his country during World War II.
Like many of his classmates, including future West Orange Mayor James Sheeran and future New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne, Bachman answered the call to serve. Tragically, he was killed on March 31, 1945, just weeks before the end of the war in Europe.
A first lieutenant with the 405th Fighter Group, attached to the 509th Fighter Squadron, Bachman was flying a test mission in a P-47D Thunderbolt when his aircraft was lost over Ophoven, Germany. The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear. His remains, however, were never returned home, and he now rests at Margraten in the Netherlands, where his grave is lovingly maintained after having been adopted by volunteers Franco and Monique Peters Vaessen.
Anyone with information or leads about surviving family members is asked to please contact Joseph Fagan at jfagan@westorange.org or call 973-325-4133.
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