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name
LEWIS, Billy Glenn - Date of
birth
24 September 1924 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
El Dorado, Butler County, Kansas -
Hometown
Butler County, Kansas
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
37520947 -
Rank
Private First Class -
Function
unknown -
Unit
A Company,
1st Battalion,
194th Glider Infantry Regiment,
17th Airborne Division
-
Awards
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 March 1945 - Place of
death
Wesel, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| O | 7 | 1 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Doris (King) Lewis (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
unknown -
Data
unknown
More information
Pfc Billy G. Lewis enlisted at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on 8 April 1943.Because of smoke over the LZ, we overshot our cut off point. When Glider no. 45-6097 finally cut off I followed him in on what seemed to be a 180 degree approach. When I last looked ahead I saw flak hit his right elevator. Just after I last saw him I pulled my tail chute and we dropped below him. I assumed he kept the same heading and landed further down. The last time I saw him he was 300 feet in the air and slightly ahead of me. I didn´t see him land and can´t say he crashed."
There were 2 crew members and 13 passengers, all from the 17th AB Div on board.
Source of information: Terry Hrisch, www.fold3.com - MACR
Photo source: Tom Verheijden, Dee Saddler, DAR, Sharon Springs, KS & Sherrie Smith, DAR, Hays, KS.