World War II Honoree

William H. Zeuner

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS APRIL 18, 1941 AT PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. SERVED AS A DOUGLAS C-47 ‘SKYTRAIN’ TRANSPORT PILOT ASSIGNED TO THE 96TH TROOP CARRIER SQUADRON, 440TH TROOP CARRIER GROUP, IX TROOP CARRIER COMMAND, A COMPONENT UNIT OF THE U.S. 9TH AIR FORCE. HE WAS STATIONED AT THE ROYAL AIR FORCE EXETER AIRFIELD, U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #463 ENGLAND. KILLED IN ACTION IN THE EARLY, MORNING HOURS, AT 01:40 ON D-DAY, TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1944 IN THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY. THIS WAS THE INVASION OF GERMANY’S FORTRESS EUROPE, CODE NAME: OPERATION OVERLORD. HE DIED ALONG WITH 3 OTHER AIR CREWMEMBERS AND 15 PARATROOPERS, WHO WERE ASSIGNED TO I-COMPANY, 506TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT. THE C-47 TROOP TRANSPORT WAS HIT AND SEVERELY DAMAGED AFTER ENCOUNTERING VERY HEAVY, ENEMY MACHINE-GUN FIRE AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT FLAK AS IT APPROACHED DROP ZONE-D LOCATED NEAR ANGOVILLE-AU-PLAIN ON THE FRENCH COTENTIN PENINSULA. THE AIRCRAFT, OUT OF CONTROL WENT DOWN IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, OFF THE COAST OF OMAHA BEACH. THERE WERE 19 PARATROOPERS ON BOARD AND 4 WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT IMPACTED THE WATER. AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO PENNSYLVANIA, WITH INTERMENT IN THE ARLINGTON CEMETERY DREXEL HILL, PENNSYLVANIA.