DOVER (WJER) - A former Dover resident would like to recognize the sacrifices three citizens made during World War II with a memorial marker somewhere downtown. 

Bill Zeigler says he would pay for the marker to honor three people who died in a plane crash at the corner of Walnut and West Second Street on January 23, 1943. He says they were dropping war bond leaflets when the small plane went down.

“The plane’s made out of wood and canvas. They’re coming in and I think their engine died, and they couldn’t glide, they were too low to glide, and they crash landed in the parking lot of the old A&B store,” he says. 

Zeigler brought his request last week to Dover City Council. Council President Shane Gunnoe asked him to gather some more details so they can consider the proposal at a future meeting.

“It was obviously major news of its day and the citizens were out trying to do their best for their country and paid for it with their lives. I appreciate him bringing that to us with the idea, and it’s something we’re going to take into deep consideration going forward,” he says.

Zeigler provided a newspaper article from the time of the crash that says the victims included Adam Wendling, the president of Wendling Brothers, Dover’s largest construction firm at the time; and Edward Early, the proprietor of Early Furniture and Early Funeral Home. The other victim was Early’s son, Edward Early Jr., who was 12 years old.

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