World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
William E. 'Bill' Ourant
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Newcomerstown, Pennsylvania
Honored By
Friends of American Heroes
ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS AND SERVED AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT AND B-17 BOMBER PILOT. HE SERVED IN ENGLAND WITH THE 95TH BOMBER GROUP. IN MARCH OF 1945, AFTER COMPLETING A SUCCESSFUL MISSION, HIS B-17 WAS SHOT DOWN AND CRASH-LANDED IN THE SMALL COMMUNITY OF WEISEL, GERMANY, NEAR THE RHINE RIVER. ALONG WITH HIS B-17 CREW, HE WAS INTERNED AS A PRISONER OF WAR IN STALAG 7A, MOOSBURG, GERMANY'S LARGEST PRISONER OF WAR CAMP. ALONG WITH 110,000 ALLIED PRISONERS, HE WAS RESCUED IN LATE APRIL 1945, BY GENERAL GEORGE PATTON'S THIRD ARMY DIVISION ON ITS MARCH TO BERLIN. AFTER BEING LIBERATED, HE RETURNED HOME.