World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
William Wendler
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Ledbetter, Texas
Honored By
Sam E. Pennartz
ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 17 JULY 1942 AT FORT SAM HOUSTON NEAR SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AT PRATT ARMY AIR FIELD, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 497TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 870TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 24 NOVEMBER 1944, DURING THE FIRST B-29 RAID AGAINST TOKYO FROM THE MARIANA ISLANDS, HE FLEW AS THE RADAR OPERATOR ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'LUCKY IRISH' (SERIAL # 42-24622) TAIL CODE A-SQUARE-26. IT WAS ONE OF 111 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE MUSASHINO AIRCRAFT ENGINE FACTORY NEAR TOKYO, HONSHU, JAPAN. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, THE GROUP WAS ATTACKED BY A BAND OF NAKAJIMA KI-44 SINGLE-ENGINE 'TOJO' FIGHTER PLANES. HIS B-29 AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY ONE OF THE TOJO FIGHTERS, WHICH WAS COMING UNDER GUN-FIRE FROM B-29 A-SQUARE-22, SHEARING OFF ITS VERTICAL STABILIZER AND LEFT ELEVATOR. HE WAS KILLED WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT WENT INTO A DIVE AND CRASHED INTO THE SEA APPROXIMATELY 153 KILOMETERS EAST OF TOKYO.