The “Missing in Action” (MIA) story of Lincoln’s Rudolph and Leo Blitz-who enlisted at the age of 17, and were killed at Pearl Harbor and Missing in Action for 78 years. This story was the program at the recent Seward Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at the Jones Bank Auditorium in Seward. The MIA Presentation was in conjunction with the National POW/MIA Week. Ed McLaughlin is a graduate of Seward High and Concordia University and is the “Throwing Coach” at Concordia University in Seward and the great nephew of the twin Uncles. His mother, Kathy Pitsch McLaughlin is the niece of Rudolph and Leo Blitz.
The “Missing in Action” (MIA) story of Lincoln’s Rudolph and Leo Blitz-who enlisted at the age of 17, and were killed at Pearl Harbor and Missing in Action for 78 years. This story was the program at the recent Seward Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at the Jones Bank Auditorium in Seward. The MIA Presentation was in conjunction with the National POW/MIA Week. Ed McLaughlin is a graduate of Seward High and Concordia University and is the “Throwing Coach” at Concordia University in Seward and the great nephew of the twin Uncles. His mother, Kathy Pitsch McLaughlin is the niece of Rudolph and Leo Blitz.
A luncheon, fellowship, short business meeting and introductions preceded the program. Program Co- Chair were Rotarians Mark Suhr and Dr. Daryl Hackbart. Dr. Hackbart introduced Ed McLaughlin, the great nephew of the Blitz twins. Rudolph and Leo Blitz were the older twin brothers of sister Betty Blitz Pitsch-who was married to the longtime Seward doctor, Dr. Richard Pitsch. Betty had been her husband’’s Clinic Manager and Bookkeeper while they lived in Seward. The Blitz Family was a family of 15 children and lived in the “German-Russian Bottoms” in Lincoln. The story of the twins is a legacy story of their family’s two “heroes” and a story that their family takes their story very seriously.
The twin Blitz Boys grew up in Lincoln and were “active” boys, full of pep and typical “big brothers” that loved to tease and play tricks on their siblings.
Since they enlisted in the Navy at age 17, with their father’s approval, their tour was to be up in 1942, however they were killed on December 7, 1941 at the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They had been in Hawaii for almost a year before the bombing. They had been on the USS Oklahoma, which was bombed by the Japanese and they both became “Missing in Action”-MIA’s. The ship was bombed and sank in 17 minutes.
It was Ed’s grandmother, Betty-the twin’s sister, who had to read the crushing letter from the Navy about the loss of the sons to the parents and that their bodies had not be identified-becoming MIA. Exactly what had happened and how they died was never confirmed but both were declared “Missing in Action” and their bodies were not officially recovered.
Decades later, in 2000, the twin’s sister Betty was contacted about using her DNA to try and determine which bodies from the many remains belonged to the twins. The new investigation took place at the Offut Air Force Base in Omaha. It was the first attempt to track down twins through the DNA process for this MIA project. Twins have the same DNA and made the process more difficult.
In May, they identified the Twins remains-78 years later, through DNA and dental records and held a special ceremony for their surviving sister Betty Blitz Pitsch, who now lives in Lincoln. The twin heroes-Rudolph and Leo Blitz were buried in Lincoln, NE with extended family and many who had worked the case in attendance at their funeral and a special delegation from the US Navy.
“These twin young men of just 17 had served their country-the USA and their USA never gave up on them!” stated Ed McLaughlin. “It took 78 years, but both boys are now back home and resting in peace in Lincoln because of the dedication and efforts of so many, working to see that both of the Blitz Twins of Lincoln, who gave their young lives for the USA, would be honored with a hero’s burial.”
Questions followed the presentation by the Rotarians.