World War II Honoree

William T. ‘Bill’ Creech

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Benson, North Carolina

Honored By

Robert Medley Gatewood

AS A 19-YEAR-OLD, VOLUNTEERED FOR AND COMPLETED AVIATION CADET TRAINING RESULTING IN COMMISSIONING AS A 2ND LIEUTENANT AND BECOMING A P-51 ‘MUSTANG’ FIGHTER PILOT. SERVED IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS. SHOT DOWN TWICE; FIRST IN THE JUNGLES OF BURMA AND NEXT OVER THE GOBI DESERT OF NORTHERN CHINA. RECOVERED AFTER BOTH INCIDENTS. IN WWII EARNED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH MULTIPLE BRONZE BATTLE STARS, AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL. A CAREER OFFICER, HE SERVED ALSO IN THE KOREAN AND VIETNAM WARS AND RETIRED AS A FULL COLONEL.