World War II Honoree

William Calvin 'Cal' Clippinger

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED AS AN AVIATION CADET IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 30 DECEMBER 1940 AT OLMSTED FIELD NEAR PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. RECEIVED PILOT WINGS AT KELLY FIELD, TEXAS. PASSED INSTRUMENT FLYING TEST ON 21 DECEMBER 1941AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 60TH TRANSPORT GROUP AT WESTOVER FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. FLEW TRAINING SORTIES IN SINGLE-ENGINE FAIRCHILD UC-61 AIRCRAFT. DEPLOYED TO THE EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO EIGHTH AIR FORCE, STATION #105 AT ROYAL AIR FORCE, CHELVESTON, AND STATION #467 AT ROYAL AIR FORCE, ALDERMASTON, ENGLAND. HE FLEW TWIN-ENGINE DOUGLAS C-47 AIRCRAFT FROM ENGLAND DELIVERING PARATROOPERS INTO EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA. ON ONE MISSION, HE WAS CRITICALLY WOUNDED IN COMBAT BY GUNFIRE FROM A GERMAN BOMBER AIRCRAFT. AFTER BEING HOSPITALIZED IN ENGLAND, HE WAS RETURNED TO THE U.S. FOR FURTHER TREATMENT. A FLIGHT MEDICAL BOARD DECLARED HIM DISABLED AND RETIRED HIM. HOWEVER, HE WAS ACCEPTED AS A TEST PILOT WITH CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION AND SPENT THE REMAINDER OF THE WAR WITH THEIR AIRPLANE DIVISION IN SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI.