World War II Honoree

Charles W. Williams

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Umatilla County, Oregon

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

SERVED AS A B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER COPILOT, WHO WAS KILLED JANUARY 2, 1944 ALONG WITH THE PILOT AND ELEVEN PASSENGERS DURING A CROSS-COUNTRY ADMINISTRATIVE FLIGHT. THE BOMBER HAD ENCOUNTERED ADVERSE WEATHER WITH SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS AND SUFFERED A STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF BOTH WINGS OUTSIDE OF THE OUTBOARD ENGINES AND EXPLODED IN MID-AIR DUE TO DAMAGED FUEL LINES. THE MISSION HAD ORIGINATED AT MCCHORD FIELD, TACOMA, WASHINGTON AND WAS DESTINED FOR LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED NEAR MCCLELLAN FIELD, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.