William served as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier on B-24H #42-52287, 747th Bomber Squadron, 456th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 23, 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Architect and also as Single, with dependents.
William was "Killed In Action", while on a bombing mission, when his B-24 was shot down by German Anti-Aircraft and crashed near Wiener Neustadt, Austria during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-668780
Son of Robert A. Rodgers who resided in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
Also shot down on the same mission was B-24H #41-28894:
See: Charles W Berreen ~ 2nd Lt., Navigator ~ for that crew!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24H #42-52287:
Beaver, Carl F. ~ Sgt, Gunner, OH
Johnson, Edwin A. ~ Sgt, Gunner, CA
Pedercini, John ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Rodgers, William R. ~ 2nd Lt., Bombardier, PA
Suit, Benjamin T. ~ T/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Valenti, Salvatore J. ~ Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Airmen who became POW's from B-24H #42-52287:
Best, John T. ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, KY ~ " DOW while POW "
La Femina, Alfred J. ~ 2nd Lt., Navigator, PA ~ " DOW while POW "
Jennings, John T. ~ 1st Lt., Pilot, OH ~ " Survived the War "
Sgt. Phillip J. Van Hole was able to "evade capture" and return to the U.S. Armed Forces. He later also served in "Korea" and "Vietnam"!
( Crew Reports by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 23, 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Architect and also as Single, with dependents.
William was "Killed In Action", while on a bombing mission, when his B-24 was shot down by German Anti-Aircraft and crashed near Wiener Neustadt, Austria during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-668780
Son of Robert A. Rodgers who resided in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
Also shot down on the same mission was B-24H #41-28894:
See: Charles W Berreen ~ 2nd Lt., Navigator ~ for that crew!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24H #42-52287:
Beaver, Carl F. ~ Sgt, Gunner, OH
Johnson, Edwin A. ~ Sgt, Gunner, CA
Pedercini, John ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Rodgers, William R. ~ 2nd Lt., Bombardier, PA
Suit, Benjamin T. ~ T/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Valenti, Salvatore J. ~ Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Airmen who became POW's from B-24H #42-52287:
Best, John T. ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, KY ~ " DOW while POW "
La Femina, Alfred J. ~ 2nd Lt., Navigator, PA ~ " DOW while POW "
Jennings, John T. ~ 1st Lt., Pilot, OH ~ " Survived the War "
Sgt. Phillip J. Van Hole was able to "evade capture" and return to the U.S. Armed Forces. He later also served in "Korea" and "Vietnam"!
( Crew Reports by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William served as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier on B-24H #42-52287, 747th Bomber Squadron, 456th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 23, 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Architect and also as Single, with dependents.
William was "Killed In Action", while on a bombing mission, when his B-24 was shot down by German Anti-Aircraft and crashed near Wiener Neustadt, Austria during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-668780
Son of Robert A. Rodgers who resided in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
Also shot down on the same mission was B-24H #41-28894:
See: Charles W Berreen ~ 2nd Lt., Navigator ~ for that crew!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24H #42-52287:
Beaver, Carl F. ~ Sgt, Gunner, OH
Johnson, Edwin A. ~ Sgt, Gunner, CA
Pedercini, John ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Rodgers, William R. ~ 2nd Lt., Bombardier, PA
Suit, Benjamin T. ~ T/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Valenti, Salvatore J. ~ Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Airmen who became POW's from B-24H #42-52287:
Best, John T. ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, KY ~ " DOW while POW "
La Femina, Alfred J. ~ 2nd Lt., Navigator, PA ~ " DOW while POW "
Jennings, John T. ~ 1st Lt., Pilot, OH ~ " Survived the War "
Sgt. Phillip J. Van Hole was able to "evade capture" and return to the U.S. Armed Forces. He later also served in "Korea" and "Vietnam"!
( Crew Reports by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 23, 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Architect and also as Single, with dependents.
William was "Killed In Action", while on a bombing mission, when his B-24 was shot down by German Anti-Aircraft and crashed near Wiener Neustadt, Austria during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-668780
Son of Robert A. Rodgers who resided in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
Also shot down on the same mission was B-24H #41-28894:
See: Charles W Berreen ~ 2nd Lt., Navigator ~ for that crew!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24H #42-52287:
Beaver, Carl F. ~ Sgt, Gunner, OH
Johnson, Edwin A. ~ Sgt, Gunner, CA
Pedercini, John ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Rodgers, William R. ~ 2nd Lt., Bombardier, PA
Suit, Benjamin T. ~ T/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Valenti, Salvatore J. ~ Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Airmen who became POW's from B-24H #42-52287:
Best, John T. ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, KY ~ " DOW while POW "
La Femina, Alfred J. ~ 2nd Lt., Navigator, PA ~ " DOW while POW "
Jennings, John T. ~ 1st Lt., Pilot, OH ~ " Survived the War "
Sgt. Phillip J. Van Hole was able to "evade capture" and return to the U.S. Armed Forces. He later also served in "Korea" and "Vietnam"!
( Crew Reports by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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