William Joseph McGOWAN
"Bill"
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NUMBER OF SERVICE | O-701125 | ||||||
AGE | 23 yo | ||||||
DATE OF BIRTH | 26 july 1920 | ||||||
ETAT | Benson, MINNESOTA | ||||||
FAMILY |
Epouse : Suzanne Catherine SCHAEFER McCONNELL Parents : Joseph C. & Mary D. McGOWAN Siblings : Patricia Anne | ||||||
RANK | Second Lieutenant | ||||||
FONCTION | Pilot | ||||||
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT | Journalist | ||||||
DATE of ENLISTEMENT | February 1943 | ||||||
SQUADRON | 391st Fighter Squadron | ||||||
GROUP | 366th Fighter Group | ||||||
ARMY | 9th US Air Force | ||||||
DATE OF DEATH | 6 june 1944 |
Source : American Battle Monuments Commission | |||||
STATUS | MIA | ||||||
PLACE OF DEATH | Moon-sur-Elle | ||||||
DATA PLAN | P-47 Thunderbolt - type D-20-RE - s/n 42-76368 A8*K
Macr: 5542 Mission: Lison train station Take-off Station 407 Thruxton, HAMPSHIRE Shots by flak to 17h00 Crush in flames | ||||||
CEMETERY | NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY of Colleville | ||||||
GRAVE |
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DECORATION |
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STORY | |||||||
Bill McGowan was born July 26, 1920 in Benson, Minnesota. He completed high school at Saint Thomas Military Academy in St. Paul in 1937 and graduated from the University of Missouri's School of Journalism in September 1942. He worked for United Press in Madison, Wisconsin followed by a stint as editor of the Swift County Monitor-News, his father's newspaper, before reporting to the Army Air Corps for training in early February, 1943. After extensive training, McGowan received his 2nd Lieutenant commission and pilot wings at Eagle Pass, Texas in December, 1943. He then went to Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana for fighter pilot training, where he also married Suzanne Schaefer in February, 1944. In April, 1944 he shipped off to England and was deployed with the 366th Fighter Group as a P-47 pilot in the 391st Fighter Squadron. Lt. McGowan made ten sorties and four combat missions as part of a number of P-47 fighter sweeps over France leading up to the D-Day invasion. On June 6, 1944 while on a low-level mission supporting the invasion on the Normandy beaches, Lt. McGowan's P-47 was shot down. The plane crashed in a field near the village of Moon-sur-Elle. Not yet 24-years old, Lt. McGowan was posthumously awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart. | |||||||
Plaque in the cemetery of Moon Sur Elle, Normandy, France near the crash site |
by Usafdo | ||||||
By Ludovic AMELINE Presse de la Manche |
Cérémonie d'obsèque du Second Lieutenant William J McGOWAN le 9 juillet 2022Source photo : American Battle Monuments Commission | ||
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Speech by Paul Stouffer (Nephew of William J Mc GOWAN) | ||
Presentation of the flag to the family | ||
Placement of the rosette on the wall of the missing |
Second Lieutenant William J McGOWAN & Academy Military St ThomasSource photo : JF Pellouais | ||
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William J Mc GOWAN as a cadet |
JF Pellouais and the Cadets of the St Thomas Military Academy during the ceremony |
Brother of William J. |
William Thomas Vincent DONNELLY
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AGE | 27 yo |
Source : Doc Wilson | ||||
DATE OF BIRTH | 12 August 1891 Benson, Swift County, MINNESOTA | |||||
ENLISTMENT STATE | NORTH DAKOTA | |||||
FAMILY | ||||||
RANK | Private |
Source : soilsister | ||||
UNIT |
26th Infantry Regiment 1st Division Infantry
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WAR | WORLD WAR FIRST | |||||
DATE OF DEATH | 5 October 1918 | |||||
STATUS | KIA | |||||
PLACE OF DEATH | Fleville | |||||
CEMETERY TEMPORARY | CEMETERY TEMPORARY of Exermont | |||||
CEMETERY | MEUSE-ARGONNE AMERICAN CEMETERY to Meuse-Argonne from Romagne-sous-Montfaucon | |||||
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SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTO | Paul Stouffer - Ffindagrave.com - Abmc.gov |
MEUSE-ARGONNE AMERICAN CEMETERY de Meuse-Argonne à Romagne-sous-Montfaucon
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Source : Jerry Lee Scott | |
Findagrave.com |
Family of William J. |
Terrence Patrick McGOWAN
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AGE | 30 yo |
Source : Eric Baker | ||||
DATE OF BIRTH | 3 July 1888 Hancock, Stevens County, MINNESOTA | |||||
ENLISTMENT STATE | MONTANA | |||||
FAMILY |
Source : soilsister | |||||
RANK | Private | |||||
UNIT |
308th Infantry Regiment 77th Infantry Division | |||||
WAR | WORLD WAR FIRST | |||||
DATE OF DEATH | 17 October 1918 | |||||
STATUS | KIA | |||||
CEMETERY | MEUSE-ARGONNE AMERICAN CEMETERY to Meuse-Argonne from Romagne-sous-Montfaucon | |||||
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SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTO | Paul Stouffer - Abmc.gov - Findagrave.com |
Family of William J. |
David Jay HOFFERT
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AGE | 30 yo |
Source : Joel Frampton Gilfert | ||||
DATE OF BIRTH | 29 September 1888 Columbus, Franklin County, OHIO | |||||
ENLISTMENT STATE | PENNSYLVANIA | |||||
FAMILY |
Parents : Manassa Kauffman & Mary Elsie Miller HOFFERT Siblings : Jessie Moneta |
Source : soilsister | ||||
RANK | First Lieutenant | |||||
UNIT |
326th Infantry Regiment
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WAR | WORLD WAR FIRST | |||||
DATE OF DEATH | 14 October 1918 | |||||
STATUS | KIA | |||||
PLACE OF DEATH | Fleville | |||||
CEMETERY | MEUSE-ARGONNE AMERICAN CEMETERY to Meuse-Argonne from Romagne-sous-Montfaucon | |||||
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Source : Astrid
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Source : Astrid | |||||
SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTO | Paul Stouffer - Abmc.gov - Findagrave.com - Findagrave.com |
SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTO | Francecrashes39-45.net - Frédéric LAVERNHE - Findagrave.com - Thesun.co.uk |
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PROGRAMMER | Frédéric & Renaud |