World War II Honoree

William E. Webster

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Oneonta, New York

Honored By

Jerry Penry

RANK: MASTER SERGEANT. HE WAS A PASSENGER IN A B-24J ‘LIBERATOR’ BOMBER, WHO WAS KILLED JUNE 7, 1944 WHEN THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED AN IN FLIGHT FIRE AND CRASHED NEAR CHAPPELL, NEBRASKA. THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO DROP OUT OF FORMATION, AS THE CREW WAS UNABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. WHILE CIRCLING THE TOWN OF CHAPPELL, THE BOMBER EXPLODED IN MID-AIR, FATALLY INJURING ALL TEN CREWMEN. THE BOMBER AND CREW WERE PART OF A LARGE FORMATION OF 15 B-24’S THAT HAD TAKEN-OFF FROM THE LINCOLN, NEBRASKA ARMY AIR FIELD FOR DEPLOYMENT TO THE WEST COAST.