I attended the temple in June and did the proxy endowment for Richard Max Hirschnitz. I felt captivated by the name and the individual.

The temple card indicated he was born 20 February 1893 in Langebruke, Kamenz, Dresden, Deutschland.

After doing some research on Richard Hirschnitz I discovered he passed away in 1917 in Belgium. Which to me told me he was likely a casualty of World War I.

He died 1 May 1917 in Flanders Province of Belgium. It shows he was buried in the Vladslo German Military Cemetery. He was definitely fighting for the Germany military.

I could not locate a formal battle happening in Flanders in May 1917. A German website shows Richard is at Seeflugstation I at Zeebrugge. The ongoing Battle of Arras seems too far away for him if he was a pilot. He could have been part of preparations for the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). I just don’t have enough detail to tell me more about how or where he died.

FindaGrave shows this designation: Flugzeugf.-Matrose. He was certainly on an aircraft. Planes in 1917 were not very large and not many crew members.

What he shot down? Crashed? Plane failure? He was just over 24 years old.

His proxy baptism and confirmation were performed 13 April 2019 in the Twin Falls Idaho Temple.

His proxy initiatory was performed for him 26 April 2019 in Twin Falls Idaho Temple.

I attended to his proxy endowment on 28 June 2025 in Twin Falls Idaho Temple.

His proxy sealing to parents is yet to be performed.

He appears to be fourth of 13 children born to the marriage Max Friedrich Heinrich Hirschnitz and Johanne Therese Schlegel.

I have more questions but cannot locate answers. Perhaps some day?