World War II Honoree

William Posledni

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Belmont County, Ohio

Honored By

Ray W. Justus

STAFF SERGEANT. HE WAS A GUNNER ON A 10-MAN, B-24 LIBERATOR, 4-ENGINE BOMBER CREW. FOLLOWING TRAINING IN TOPEKA, KANSAS HE FLEW TO SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA AND THEN LATER TO SAN FRANCISCO. HE LEFT FOR HONOLULU ON APRIL 2, 1943. TRAINED FOR 8 WEEKS BEFORE BEING SENT TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. STATIONED AT CARNEY FIELD ON GUADALCANAL ISLAND. REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION ON JULY 6, 1943 IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC ON THE 8TH MISSION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAST SEEN TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY BACK OVER THE ISLAND OF CHOISEUL; THE JAPANESE CONTROLLED THE ISLAND. CIRCUMSTANCES WERE MORE MYSTIFYING BECAUSE THE WEATHER WAS NOT BAD, NOR HAD THE CREW FORWARDED ANY SIGNAL OF DISTRESS. AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH FAILED TO REVEAL ANY TRACE OF THE MISSING CRAFT OR ITS CREW OF 10 MEN. SEARCHES FOR THE CREW CONTINUED UNTIL JANUARY 21, 1946. HE WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED KILLED IN ACTION 30 MONTHS LATER. HE IS LISTED ON THE TABLETS OF THE MISSING AT MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY MANILA, PHILIPPINES. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL AND PURPLE HEART POSTHUMOUSLY.