William Stewart McHenry, Jr.

William Stewart McHenry Jr, of Newburgh, New York, was the pilot of B-24 #41-24126 assigned to the 10th Air Force, 7th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Squadron based at Pandaveswar Airfield in India. On October 18, 1943 they were part of a seven plane combat mission to Heho Airdrome in Burma. McHenry's plane was hit. The crippled plane fell back and began losing altitude.

According to reports, “the enemy turned their attention to the aircraft. After one of the passes by a zero, the left wing of the B-24 blew off and the rest of the plane plunged through the clouds. McHenry and two other crewmen were killed, the others survived bailing out and became prisoners of war.

After the incident, McHenry’s wife, who was 8 months pregnant when her husband was killed, received a letter from a pilot who witnessed McHenry’s plane lose a wing while on fire, then disappearing through the clouds. McHenry’s family would later learn that he had kept a burning aircraft aloft long enough to allow his crew to bail out to eventually be rescued. He and his cockpit crew crashed in enemy territory. It took another three years before their remains were recovered.

His daughter, born after he was killed, was presented with his Purple Heart and Distinguished Cross at Stewart Airport when his remains were returned, and she attended his subsequent burial at Arlington National Cemetery weeks later. She recalled that, “As a child, I still remember the gun salute and sound of TAPS that deeply affected me. To this day, I tear up hearing either sound.”

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) for extraordinary heroism: "After his bomber was severely damaged, Second Lieutenant McHenry skillfully controlled his airplane long enough for six members of the crew to bail out before a wing was ripped from the fuselage and his bomber crashed in flames. The personal courage and zealous devotion to duty displayed by Second Lieutenant McHenry on this occasion, at the cost of his life, have upheld the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army Air Forces."

This narrative was submitted by the family of the Purple Heart recipient.