Eldon DeWald Krug

Eldon DeWald KrugFebruary 5, 1922 “ January 24, 2016Eldon Krug, a Longmont resident since 1957, died peacefully in his sleep on January 24, 12 days short of his 94th birthday.Eldon was born in La Crosse, Kansas on February 5, 1922 to Jacob and Clara Krug. He attended Russell high school in nearby Russell, Kansas and as an avid golfer; he participated in and often won local golf tournaments as a teenager. He enjoyed mechanical work and was employed at a Firestone shop in Russell after his high school graduation in 1940 before enlisting in the Army Air Force at Fort Riley, Kansas in November 1942. Hoping to be trained as an airplane mechanic, like most enlistees, his desired military occupation did not entirely match his actual training and subsequent assignments. He was trained as an in-flight airplane mechanic and machine gunner and assigned to a B-17 flight crew as part of the 457th Bombardment Group of the Mighty 8th Air Force. He was amongst the first crews to arrive at the new airfield in Glatton England in January 1944. Over Berlin during a mission on June 21, 1944, his 17th bombardment sortie, a near direct hit anti-aircraft round nearly destroyed the airplane, killing one member of the crew and injuring Eldon. A piece of flak went through his right wrist nearly severing his hand and narrowly missed his head as evidenced by damage to his oxygen mask apparatus. The B-17 managed to limp back to Glatton, so severely damaged that it was immediately grounded and salvaged for parts. In November 1945, Technical Sargent, Eldon Krug was honorably discharged from the Army Air Force at Bushnell General Hospital in Brigham City, Utah.Upon discharge from the military, Eldon worked in the heating, cooling and plumbing business in Kansas and stayed in that same line of work after relocating to Longmont in 1957. He started his own plumbing business, Krug Plumbing & Heating, in the early 1960's and ran that business until his retirement in the mid 1980's. Eldon adored Longmont and the surrounding mountains, especially Rocky Mountain National Park. He enjoyed dancing and music, particularly Big Band tunes, and was a regular fixture throughout his 80's at Longmont Senior Center dances and other dancing venues.Eldon was beloved by his family and many friends and acquaintances for his unwavering positive attitude and good nature, his integrity and honesty, his genuine friendliness and interest in other people, his complete lack of pretense, and his warm and sometimes self-effacing sense of humor. He is survived by his son Dale Krug, Helena, Montana; daughter Kay Baker, Longmont; son Mark Krug, Santa Rosa, California; granddaughter Stephanie DeRosier, Denver; grandson Andy Baker, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and granddaughter Molly Baker, Longmont. Memorial services will be held at 1:00pm on Friday, February 5, 2016 at Ahlberg Funeral Chapel in Longmont. Visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to share condolences. Charitable donations in honor of Eldon can be made to the Disabled Veterans of America, https://www.dav.org/