Lloyd 'Catfish' Butch Plummer, 101

We sadly must say goodbye to our father, Lloyd Butch Plummer, who passed from this world unexpectedly April 2, 2026. Although he was 101+ years old and relatively in good health, his heart, beating for 102 years, finally said enough.

Lloyd was born Dec. 15, 1924, in Picher, Okla., in the depths of the Depression in a house situated on the state lines of Kansas and Oklahoma, and depending on which room you were in, he said, it designated what state you were in. As the son of William “Bill” and Ethel (Sanders) Plummer, Lloyd joined his older brother, John, and, a few years later, his younger brother, Bill Jr., lovingly called Nuke, to complete the family.

Lloyd attended the Common School in Picher, Okla., and then later the Common School in Treece, Kan. He told me these schools were so close that they could, and often did, throw rocks at each other during recess. His formal education ended after eight years, but his real education continued throughout his lifetime, as nothing would stop him from accomplishing or figuring out how to accomplish the task at hand, becoming an expert in mining, welding, construction and excavation.

The Plummer family was living in Burke Canyon, not far from where he would later build his own home, when Japan dropped bombs on Pearl Harbor, throwing the United States into World War II. Although not yet 17 years old, Lloyd volunteered for service just like so many others across the country, but his enlistment was rejected, not because of his age but because of his occupation. He was now employed as a miner, and these metals were important for the war effort.  

His first introduction to mining was being trained in assisting a powder monkey and later becoming a powder monkey himself. For those unfamiliar with this term, powder monkeys handle the explosives in the mines. They determine where to drill the holes and how much explosive to use to break the hard rock into muck or more manageable pieces. This knowledge would later come in handy when he would have TNT strapped to his legs, jumping out of an airplane over Europe.

Lloyd was determined to join the military, and after trying Idaho, Oklahoma and then Kansas, the Army finally accepted his enlistment. After completing basic training at Camp Roberts in California, Lloyd joined the Airborne and started intense specialized training at Fort Benning, Ga. He was sent overseas and joined the 509 PIB in June 1943, just shy of his 19th birthday. His exploits with the 509 are legendary and too numerous to highlight here, but included campaigns in Anzio, Arno, Southern France, and the Battle of the Bulge, which, unfortunately, was the end of the WWII 509 unit. 746 509ers entered the Battle of the Bulge, but only 60 men walked off the line. After recovering from severe frostbite and burns from a gasoline explosion in this battle, Lloyd was assigned to the 505 PIB of the 82nd Airborne. He remained with this unit as the Allies entered Germany, tasked with the liberation of the death camps, and as a young man, barely 20 years old, he became a witness to the horrors of the Nazi regime.

Lloyd’s service earned him several citations, including two Purple Hearts and three Distinguished Unit Badges. Lloyd was discharged Dec. 25, 1945, and returned like so many others of his generation to civilian life, trying to put the war behind him. Returning to Shoshone County, he met and married Laverne Riley on Jan. 24, 1948, and together they raised six daughters. His beloved wife of almost 60 years passed away in 2007.

Living alone for the last 19 years in the home he built and loved on the Burke Road outside Wallace, Idaho, he found time to reconnect with some survivors of the WWII 509ers by getting involved with the 509 Association, which now includes new 509ers from the Korean War through and up to today’s conflicts. His yearly highlights were attending their annual reunions, and last September, he was honored to be invited to the 3/509 Annual Battalion Ball at JAFB, Fort Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska. On this occasion, he was honored by receiving the Last Man Standing bottle, as the last survivor of the original G-men, and also the Order of St. Michael, which he displayed proudly.

Lloyd is survived by his six daughters: Nancy (Dan) Lane; Janet (Jim) Wetmore; Susan (Kurt) Copeland; Penny (Loren) Clemens; Margie Newman; and Mary Jane (Mark) Tihonovich; son-in-law Paul Behm; grandchildren Jennifer (Mike) Troy; Brian (Chaz) Lane; Brandy Behm; Jason (Amy) Behm; Jessica Behm; Cari Copeland; Doug Mize; Kori (Aimee) Mize; James Mize; Todd Newman; Shauna (Jon) Garrahy; Brittnee (Colin) Naake; and Mikayla Tihonovich; 11 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews and lastly his brothers and sisters with the 1/509, the 3/509 and members of the 509 Association.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Laverne; his brothers, John and Nuke; his son-in-law, David Newman; and the true band of brothers, the original WWII 509ers.

Lloyd’s funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, April 10, 2026, at Yates Funeral Home — Coeur d’Alene Chapel (744 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814). Public visitation is scheduled for Thursday, April 9, 2026, between 4 and 6 p.m., at Yates Funeral Home — Coeur d’Alene Chapel. Interment will be at Shoshone Memorial Gardens in Kingston. Please visit Lloyd’s online memorial and sign his guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.