World War II Honoree

William W. Waite

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Thornton, California

Honored By

Frank Halm, USAF (Ret.)

SERVED AS A B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER WAIST GUNNER, WHO COMPLETED 27 COMBAT MISSIONS IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. ASSIGNED TO THE 8TH AIR FORCE ‘MIGHTY EIGHTH’, 94TH BOMB GROUP, 331ST BOMB SQUADRON, STATIONED AT ROUGHAM FIELD, BURY ST. EDMUNDS, ENGLAND. LATER TRANSFERRED TO THE 333RD BOMB SQUADRON WHERE HIS CREW WAS DESIGNATED AS THE ‘LEAD CREW SQUADRON’. CAMPAIGNS AND AIR BATTLES: AIR OFFENSIVE EUROPE: NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE AND CENTRAL EUROPE. DECORATIONS: AIR MEDAL WITH FOUR OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, PURPLE HEART MEDAL, ARMY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH FOUR BATTLE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND THE HONORABLE LAPEL BUTTON. ENTER THE SERVICE FEBRUARY 5, 1943 AND WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED SEPTEMBER 30,1945 AT THE ARMY AIR BASE, ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO.