Memorial

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William Housholder attended college.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Phoenix, Arizona on 24 June 1942.

Statement of 2nd Lt Arthur B. McCormick, who flew in the same mission: "I was flying Blue 2 on Lt Housholder's wing. We were flying in the cloud deck at about 9,000 feet. Lt Housholder had just destroyed 2 ME-109s, and we had sighted 2 more flying on the cloud deck heading east. We took off after them, closing rapidly. Just as we approached firing range, they spotted us and broke sharply, one to the left and one to the right. Lt Housholder told me to take the one breaking right, and he turned to engage the one breaking left. While turning with him I observed Housholder making a head-on pass at the other 109. Almost immediately after this pass I could see smoke coming from Lt Housholder's plane. He then called on the R/T saying he had been hit. About a minute later as I was still turning with the other 109, Housholder called me saying his altitude was about 7 or 8,000 feet, his ship was on fire, and he was bailing out. I looked for him but couldn't see him, so I presume he was below the cloud deck when he bailed out."