World War II Honoree

William Patten Henderson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Florida

Honored By

Mrs. William Henderson

Relationship

Wife

ENTERED THE ARMY SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM, AIR CORPS PROGRAM IN JULY 1944 AND WAS SENT TO CLEMSON COLLEGE TO ATTEND A PRE-PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM. AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS, WAS SENT TO BASIC TRAINING AT SHEPPARD FIELD IN WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED HE HAD ALLERGIC RHINITIS AND COULD NOT QUALIFY FOR FLIGHT TRAINING. HE MADE THE SELECTION TO TAKE AERIAL PHOTO TRAINING AT LOWRY FIELD IN DENVER, COLORADO. FROM THERE, WAS SENT OVERSEAS TO FRANCE, THEN TO GERMANY TO OPERATE AS A FLIGHT TRAFFIC CLERK. LOADING AND FLYING IN C-47'S THAT WERE GOING TO VARIOUS COUNTRIES TAKING SUPPLIES TO BERLIN AIR LIFT, AUSTRIA AND ALSO FLIGHTS TO ENGLAND, FRANCE AND ITALY. RETURNED TO U.S. IN THE SUMMER OF 1946 (BECAUSE HE WAS LISTED AS A SOLE SURVIVOR OF A FAMILY). WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGE IN OCTOBER 1946 AND IMMEDIATELY ENROLLED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.