Husband of Patsy J. Wright who resided in Chappell, Nebraska.
Willard served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #42-78608, 514th Bomber Squadron, 376th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Los Angeles County, California prior to the war.
B-24J #42-78608, while on a mission to Szombathely, Hungary, was hit by enemy flax and crash landed in Austria during the war.
Willard was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # 39274267
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J (#42-78608):
Banfield, Tunis G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WV
Beck, Donald E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, WI
Burbick, William ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Doherty, Michael F, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, ME
Elbel, William P ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, PA
Rhyne, Marvin L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NC
Ross, Edwin S ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, IN
Wright, Willard K ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, CA
2nd Lt. Lonnie O. Hicks (Pilot), 2nd Lt. Marcus J. Fay (Co-Pilot), and T/Sgt. Nolan J. Reech (Radio Operator) all survived the crash landing and became POW's.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Willard served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #42-78608, 514th Bomber Squadron, 376th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Los Angeles County, California prior to the war.
B-24J #42-78608, while on a mission to Szombathely, Hungary, was hit by enemy flax and crash landed in Austria during the war.
Willard was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # 39274267
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J (#42-78608):
Banfield, Tunis G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WV
Beck, Donald E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, WI
Burbick, William ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Doherty, Michael F, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, ME
Elbel, William P ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, PA
Rhyne, Marvin L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NC
Ross, Edwin S ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, IN
Wright, Willard K ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, CA
2nd Lt. Lonnie O. Hicks (Pilot), 2nd Lt. Marcus J. Fay (Co-Pilot), and T/Sgt. Nolan J. Reech (Radio Operator) all survived the crash landing and became POW's.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Husband of Patsy J. Wright who resided in Chappell, Nebraska.
Willard served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #42-78608, 514th Bomber Squadron, 376th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Los Angeles County, California prior to the war.
B-24J #42-78608, while on a mission to Szombathely, Hungary, was hit by enemy flax and crash landed in Austria during the war.
Willard was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # 39274267
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J (#42-78608):
Banfield, Tunis G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WV
Beck, Donald E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, WI
Burbick, William ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Doherty, Michael F, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, ME
Elbel, William P ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, PA
Rhyne, Marvin L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NC
Ross, Edwin S ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, IN
Wright, Willard K ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, CA
2nd Lt. Lonnie O. Hicks (Pilot), 2nd Lt. Marcus J. Fay (Co-Pilot), and T/Sgt. Nolan J. Reech (Radio Operator) all survived the crash landing and became POW's.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Willard served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24J #42-78608, 514th Bomber Squadron, 376th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Los Angeles County, California prior to the war.
B-24J #42-78608, while on a mission to Szombathely, Hungary, was hit by enemy flax and crash landed in Austria during the war.
Willard was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # 39274267
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J (#42-78608):
Banfield, Tunis G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WV
Beck, Donald E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, WI
Burbick, William ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Doherty, Michael F, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, ME
Elbel, William P ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, PA
Rhyne, Marvin L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NC
Ross, Edwin S ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, IN
Wright, Willard K ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, CA
2nd Lt. Lonnie O. Hicks (Pilot), 2nd Lt. Marcus J. Fay (Co-Pilot), and T/Sgt. Nolan J. Reech (Radio Operator) all survived the crash landing and became POW's.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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