World War II Honoree

William F. Acree

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Fairbury, Nebraska

Honored By

Jerry Penry

RANK: 2ND LIEUTENANT. SERVED AS A P-47 ‘THUNDERBOLT’ FIGHTER PILOT AND WAS A PASSENGER IN A C-47 ‘SKYTRAIN’ TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT, WHO WAS KILLED AUGUST 3, 1944 DURING A CROSS-COUNTRY NIGHTTIME FLIGHT FROM BRUNING ARMY AIR FIELD, NEBRASKA DESTINED FOR PIERRE ARMY AIR FIELD, SOUTH DAKOTA. APPROXIMATELY SIX MILES SOUTHWEST OF NAPER, NEBRASKA THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A RAVINE WHEN IT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTING AFTER ENCOUNTERING A SEVERE ELECTRICAL THUNDERSTORM. ABOARD THE STRICKEN C-47 WAS A FLIGHT CREW OF 4 AND 24 RATED P-47 FIGHTER PILOTS WHO WERE EN-ROUTE TO SOUTH DAKOTA FOR ADVANCE TRAINING. THIS CRASH IS BELIEVED TO BE THE WORST ACCIDENT DURING WWII IN TERMS OF LOSS OF LIFE (28 AIRMEN) FROM ONE SINGLE AIRCRAFT IN THE UNITED STATES.