World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
George W. Betchley
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Yonkers, New York
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
Rank: First Lieutenant. On February 26, 1943 he entered the United States Army Air Corps with his induction at Atlantic City, New Jersey. After completing Boot Camp, he was selected to attend the Flight Aviation Training Program. Served as a B-17G ‘Flying Fortress’ Bomber Navigator in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, and stationed at the Foggia Airfield, Italy. He was a member of the 429th Bomb Squadron, Second Bomb Group, Fifth Bomb Wing; U.S. Fifteenth Army Air Force. Reported missing in action Thursday, March 22, 1945 during a bombing mission to the Ruhland Synthetic Oil Refinery, Ruhland-Schwarzheide, Germany. While approaching the target, the Flying Fortress carrying a crew of ten, encountered German Fighters, and ground anti-craft flak fire, crashing near the village of Glinica, Poland. Later his missing in action status was amended to read killed in action. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the American Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. After the cessation of hostilities in Europe, The American Graves Registration Command conducted recovery operations, recovering some remains, American military gear and other artifacts. The remains that were unidentifiable were interred as unknowns in the U.S. Military Cemetery in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium. In July of 2016 the unknowns were disinterred and transferred to the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, were he was identified. The remains of this Airman were interred with Military Honors, October 14, 2017 at the Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park Cemetery in Clearwater, Florida. He received the following awards posthumously: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. The Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Air Medal awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.