Born 15 May 1921 in Cleveland, Ohio, he was the son of Otto and Merthyr (Watkins) Kieselbach. He graduated from Ravenna High School in 1939 and attended Kent State University until entering military service in 1941. Pilot of the B-24 G, 42-78240, "Our Love", which took off from near Bari, Italy on a bombing run of a train yard in Bucharest, Romania. It was his 43rd mission. Over the target, the plane was struck by anti-aircraft fire and thus fell out of formation and was attacked by five German fighter planes on the return flight, which brought the plane down. Captured by Bulgarian soldiers and held as POW until the Russians came through. Escaped and evaded through Greece, Turkey and Syria to Cairo. After the war he was a woodwork estimator for Millwork Co.