World War II Honoree

William James Billig

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Pulaski, Virginia

Honored By

William J. Billig,Jr.

Relationship

Son

SECOND LIEUTENANT; 319TH BOMB GROUP, 437TH SQUADRON. DRAFTED IN EARLY 1941, COMPLETED ARMY AIR CORPS CADET TRAINING AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS AS A B-26 CO-PILOT. SHOT DOWN ON ITS 1ST BOMB RUN, HE AND CREW CRASH LANDED IN THE NETHERLANDS AND WERE IMMEDIATELY CAPTURED BY THE GERMANS. WAS INTERNED AT STALAG LUFT III NEAR SAGAN GERMANY FOR 2 1/2 YEARS UNTIL SHORTLY BEFORE THE END OF THE WAR WHEN HIS CAMP WAS EVACUATED FOR A FORCED MARCH TO STALAG 7A AT MOOSEBURG, GERMANY. WHILE INTERNED AS A POW, HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE ESCAPE COMMITTEE, FORGED PAPERS FOR ESCAPEES AND WAS A CODE-USER, SENDING AND RECEIVING CODED MESSAGES FOR MILITARY INTELLIGENCE. THIS WAS A TOP-SECRET OPERATION. HE WAS LIBERATED ON APRIL 29, 1945, RETURNED TO THE U.S. AND WAS PREPARING FOR RE-ASSIGNMENT TO THE PACIFIC WHEN THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB WAS DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA.