World War II Honoree
Killed In Action
William Wannemacher
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Hempstead, New York
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
Rank: Staff Sergeant. Inducted into the United States Army Air Corps August 13, 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island, New York. After completing his basic military training, he was designated to attend the Flight Aviation Training Program. He served as a Ball Turret Gunner aboard a B-17 ‘Flying-Fortress’ Bomber, assigned to the 323rd Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, and a subordinate unit of the U.S. 8th Air Force ‘Mighty Eighth’ Army Air Forces. His unit was based at the Bassingbourn Royal Air Force Station Location: Cambridgeshire, England. Tuesday, August 17, 1943 he was killed in action, when his Bomber was shot down by German fighters, and crashed near the village of Liege, Belgium. His squadron was dispatched to assist in a raid on the ball bearing factory Location: Schweinfurt, Germany. Personnel from a Graves Registration Company buried him in the Neuville-en-Condroz Battlefield Cemetery Liege, Belgium. In the post-war era, this Airman’s family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at the Ardennes American Cemetery Location: Neupre (Neuville-en-Condroz), Belgium. This American Patriot received the following decorations posthumously: Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. The Air Medal was awarded to the Sergeant for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight, and the Purple Heart, for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.