World War II Honoree

William Hubert Wallace, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Dallas, Texas

Honored By

Judy Goodman Ikels

Relationship

Daughter

2nd Lt. William Hubert Wallace, Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Army, was licensed as a pilot for the Army Air Corps in 1943 and served in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II. Flew as part of the 308th Bombardment Group of the 14th Air Force, in the Claire L. Chennault’s Flying Tigers. Piloted a B-24 Liberator Bomber completing successful missions returning to the airbase at Kweilin in southern China Yunnan Province. He encountered conditions impossible for landing. Running out of fuel and finding no safe place to land, he ordered his crew of seven men to bail out. All his crew survived, but by the time Bill parachuted, the failing plane had lost too much altitude. Killed in action on June 10, 1944, and was buried in China. He was awarded the Purple Heart. On November 13, 1947, his remains were repatriated and laid to rest with honors in Arlington National Cemetery.