2nd Lt. William J. McGowan
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| 2nd Lt. William J. McGowan | |
|---|---|
| Born | William J. McGowan July 26, 1920 Benson, Minnesota |
| 💀Died | June 6, 1944 (aged 23) Moon-sur-Elle, FRJune 6, 1944 (aged 23) |
| 💼 Occupation | journalist, aviator |
William J. (Bill) McGowan (July 26, 1920 – June 6, 1944) was a 2nd Lieutenant American Army Aviator in WWII. The P-47 he was flying on D-Day, was shot down while on a low-level strafing and bombing mission south of the landing beaches in Normandy, France. He did not survive the crash.
Early life and education[edit]
Bill McGowan was born in Benson, Minnesota and graduated High School in 1938 at Saint_Thomas_Academy, then on the campus of University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
Prior to joining the Army Air Corp, McGowan anticipated a career in journalism following in the footsteps of his father Joseph, then publisher and editor of the local newspaper in Benson, Minnesota. After graduating from the University of Missouri’s prestigious School of Journalism in September 1942, McGowan was employed by the United Press in Madison, Wisconsin. This was 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.
Born in Benson, Minnesota, McGowan received his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri where he graduated in 1942, with his cousin Martin J. McGowan Jr.
Wartime Service[edit]
In December, 1943, McGowan received his 2nd Lieutenant commission and pilot silver wings with the class of 43-K at Eagle Pass. He then went to Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana for further fighter pilot training in the P-47. While there he married fellow Minnesotan Suzanne Schaefer in a small ceremony at the Harding Field post chapel. In April, 1944 he was deployed with the 366th Fighter Group in England where he commenced his brief career as a “Jug” pilot with 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. "At 3:15 p.m. on June 6, 1944, D-Day, McGowan set out from Royal Air Force Thruxton in Hampshire in southern England on a mission to target the Lison train station and enemy convoys moving northeast toward Bayeux. According to the Missing Air Crew Report given by his wingman, Flight Officer Paul E. Stryker, the next day, after they seized “a target of opportunity” and dropped their fragmentation bombs on a passing German train, McGowan’s Thunderbolt was hit by antiaircraft fire at 500 feet, too low for him to safely parachute from his plane. “I was taking evasive action and about 1000', I noticed his plane was in flames and was going into a spin,” relayed Stryker. “He spun it to the ground and the whole ship burst in to flame.”"
Although Lt. McGowan's remains were not recovered until August 2018, his dog tags were recovered shortly after the crash. A small memorial to Lt. McGowan continues to be maintained by the wonderful residents of the nearby village of Moon-Sur-Elle, close to the crash site. Not yet 24-years old, Lt. McGowan was posthumously awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart. For many years, he was listed among the Missing in Action at the Garden of the Missing Army-Army Air Forces Tablet 32, at the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
His heroic service first came to public attention in Archaeology.,[1]
Recovery and Interment[edit]
Airman McGowan's remains were recovered in 2018 by a DPAA team lead by Sean Tallman,[2] and were accounted for on May 13, 2019.[3]
He was interred in Normandy at a ceremony on July 9, 2022, marked by the American Battle Monuments Commission[4] which is a signature event in the ABMC's Centennial Video [5]
His service was remembered by The Greatest Generations Foundation at their Sainte-Marie du Mont meeting hall on July 8, 2022, with three surviving D-Day veterans attending.[6]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ "The Legacy of the Longest Day - Archaeology Magazine". www.archaeology.org.
- ↑ "One BU Professor Helps Another Bury a War-Hero Relative, 75 Years Later".
- ↑ "Airman Accounted for from World War II (McGowan, W.)".
- ↑ "WWII Pilot 2nd Lt. William J. McGowan laid to rest at Normandy American Cemetery | American Battle Monuments Commission". www.abmc.gov. July 9, 2022.
- ↑ "The American Battle Monuments Commission releases documentary to mark a hundred years of commemoration".
- ↑ "The Greatest Generations Foundation (July 10, 2022)".
References[edit]
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