Lt. Col. Wilbur W. Hiehle, Medical Corps, who commanded Mars Task Force medical personnel for a time, in the cockpit of an L-5 over Burma or China, during WWII.
Hiehle was a graduate of George Washington University. He entered military service in 1929.
2nd Lt. Hiehle was assigned 306th Cavalry in 1934. Hiehle, then a First Lieut. was assigned to Medical Corps by October 1939.
In May, 1940, Hiehle was relieved at Fort Jay, New York, and reassigned to New York Port of Embarkation, Brooklyn, New York.
In October 1940, it was announced that he and Miss Louise Morano had wed.
In December, 1940, now a Captain, Hiehle was moved from the Medical Corps, at Brooklyn, to the 16th Medical Regiment, Fort Devens, Mass.
Hiehle spent some time at Fort Devens, Mass., then in July 1942, now a Major, he reported for duty as commander of the 60th Battalion, one of seven new medical battalions activated at the medical replacement training center at Camp Barkeley, near Abilene, Texas. It was announced that he had been advanced to Lt. Col. rank at Camp Barkeley in March, 1943.
In 1944, Hiehle provided evidence in rebuttal during the trial of Private John Pulaski, he had refused to advance against the Japanese at Mankrin, Burma, in violation of the 61st Article of War. Private Pulaski's defense included that his eyesight was poor, but while he was being examined at the 42nd Portable Surgical Hospital, Hiehle devised to test this by stretching a string across the doorway, unknown to Pulaski. But Pulaski easily saw the string and stepped over it upon exit. Pulaski was convicted of all charges.
Hiehle was mentioned in April 1, 1945, CBI-Roundup, giving praise to the flyers of the 10th AF (3rd CCS): "Many lives were saved by the work of the 10th Air Force sergeant-pilots who fly the tiny liaison planes used for evacuation of wounded from the front. Lt. Col. Wilbur W. Hiehle, of New York City, who commands the Mars Task Force medical personnel, attributes the low mortality rate of wounded as much to the sergeant-pilots as to the personnel of the portable surgical units. 'These boys fly their heads off for us," said Hiehle. "I don't know what we would do without them.'"
Hiehle was born April 2, 1910, After the war he continued in the medical field, including as a professor of military science at New York Medical College, and also served on the Joint United States Military Commission in Brazil, and was assigned to Allied Headquarters in Europe, as was superintendent of the Western Maryland State Hospital. He passed away on March 24, 1972, at 61 years of age, while playing golf.