World War II Honoree

William Henry Weise

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

North Plainfield, New Jersey

Honored By

Elizabeth Gagne, William Weise, Mary Ellen Tantum, Amy Jambor & David Weise

Relationship

Family

ENTERED THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS AFTER SEEING JIMMY STEWART IN A NEWSREEL AS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL. ENLISTED IN 1941 AND BECAME A MEMBER OF THE MIGHTY 8TH AIR FORCE, 323RD BOMBER SQUADRON (HEAVY). FLEW OUT OF BASSINGBOURN, ENGLAND PERFORMING DAYLIGHT BOMBING RUNS OVER GERMANY AND EUROPE WITHOUT FIGHTER COVER. ORIGINALLY TRAINED AS A PILOT IN UVALDE, TEXAS, HE SERVED AS NAVIGATOR OF THE 'MARY LOU', 'CHENAULT'S PAPPY' AND THE 'WICKED WITCH', AMONG OTHERS. ALL WERE B-17 AIRCRAFT. FLEW 31 MISSIONS FOR THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. RECEIVED THE AIR MEDAL AND THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS WITH OAK LEAF CLUSTERS FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE. MEDALS WERE RECEIVED FROM GENERAL EISENHOWER HIMSELF AT BASSINGBOURN. RECEIVED ADDITIONAL COMMENDATIONS FROM WINSTON CHURCHILL AND GENERAL EAKER, COMMANDER OF THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS, FOR SURVIVING A DANGEROUS RAID OVER EMDEN, GERMANY. RETURNED TO THE U.S. TO TRAIN ADDITIONAL NAVIGATORS IN LANGLEY, VIRGINIA IN 1944.