World War II Honoree

William 'Bill' O. Wisner

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Dallas County, Texas

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 2ND LIEUTENANT. INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS MARCH 18, 1942 AT DALLAS, TEXAS. SERVED AS A LOCKHEED P-38 ‘LIGHTING’ FIGHTER PILOT ASSIGNED TO THE 71ST FIGHTER SQUADRON, 1ST FIGHTER GROUP, 305TH FIGHTER WING, U.S. 15TH AIR FORCE, STATIONED AT VINCENZO AIRFIELD, SALSOLA, ITALY. ON OCTOBER 20, 1944 HIS SQUADRON WAS EN-ROUTE TO A RENDEZVOUS AREA TO ESCORT A FLIGHT OF BOMBERS TO AN OIL STORAGE FACILITY NEAR REGENSBURG, GERMANY WHEN ANTI-AIRCRAFT FLAK WAS ENCOUNTERED NORTH OF BOLZANO, ITALY. HIS FIGHTER WAS LAST SEEN IN A STEEP DIVE, SPINNING WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE ON FIRE AFTER IT HAD BEEN STRUCK WITH DEBRIS FROM A MIDAIR COLLISION INVOLVING TWO OTHER FIGHTERS AND CRASHED NORTHEAST OF BOLZANO, ITALY. REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1944 AND WAS MEMORIALIZED AT THE FLORENCE AMERICAN CEMETERY LOCATED AT VIA CASSIA, ITALY. A LOCAL BOLZANO RESIDENT IN AUGUST OF 2000 LED A U.S. ARMY GRAVES REGISTRATION SERVICE TEAM TO THE CRASH SITE AND TO THE LOCATION WHERE HE WAS BURIED. HIS REMAINS WERE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AND RETURNED TO TEXAS FOR BURIAL. INTERMENT WAS NOVEMBER 21, 2001 WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS IN THE LAUREL LAND MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY, DALLAS, TEXAS. DECORATIONS AND MEDALS: AIR MEDAL AND THE PURPLE HEART WERE AWARDED POSTHUMOUSLY. THE AIR MEDAL WAS AWARDED TO THE LIEUTENANT FOR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT WHILE PARTICIPATING IN AERIAL FLIGHT.