Chief Master Sgt. Lynn Steincamp - Lackland AFB, Texas
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 29° 23.563 W 098° 37.284
14R E 536735 N 3251556
Plaque honoring Chief Master Sgt. Lynn Steincamp near the P-38 adjacent to the main parade field at Lackland Air Force Base.
Waymark Code: WM3CM7
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/15/2008
Views: 6
P-38
...an enlisted story.
Chief Master Sgt. Lynn Steincamp
Chief Steincamp's Air Force career took many unexpected turns before his
ultimate retirement Aug. 1, 1970. On May 8, 1944, then Lieutenant
Steincamp was escorting bombers on a raid over Germany. On the way back to
England, the left engine of his P-38 Lightning caught fire and he was forced to
bail out. He was eventually interred in Stalag Luft 3 only two months after what
became known as the "The Great Escape." His stint as a prisoner of war was
not an easy one largely due to his own repeated escape attempts. Following
several forced marches, Steincamp was finally liberated April 29, 1945. He
stayed in the Army Air Force for a while but soon tired of the "mundane flying."
He gave up his commission and made a short-lived stab at civilian life.
Finding this even more dissatisfying, he enlisted in the Army Air Force as a
Staff Sergeant and proved himself a valuable NCO. ~ text of plaque.