William John Fenker

Narrative:

      William John Fenker was born on 12 Dec 1922 in Sandusky, Ohio.^8,9,10
     He appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Sandusky, Erie Co., Ohio, in the household of his parents, Dr. William Tarvin Fenker and Mary Lillie Cheetham.⁴ He appeared on the 1940 Federal Census of Sandusky, Erie Co., Ohio, in the household of his parents.⁵
     William attended Ohio State University for two years before entering the Army Air Forces.¹¹
     William registered for the draft for World War II on 27 Jun 1942, while living at 1226 Wayne St., Sandusky, Erie Co., Ohio, reporting he was not employed.¹

Eager to Fly --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     In Jul 1942 William signed up for flight instruction with the Civil Air Patrol unit in Mansfield, Ohio, about 50 miles from his home. But he had little or no time for instruction there.¹⁴
     William enlisted in the U.S. Army 21 Jul 1942, at Cleveland, Ohio. He was initally enlisted in the Medical Administrative Corps, perhaps because his father was a doctor and had been in the medical corps in World War I.¹⁵ He was soon re-directed to the Air Corps, however. By Feb 1943 he was an Aviation Cadet at the Pre-Flight School at San Antonio, Texas.¹⁶
     By Apr 1943 he was flying solo at Cimarron Field, now Clarence E. Page Municipal Airport, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.¹⁷ He graduated from the Army basic flying school at Strother Army Air Field, Kansas, in Jul 1943, and advanced to the final stage of pilot training.¹⁸ By Nov 1943 he was assigned to the 85th Fighter Bomber Group, stationed in Waycross, Georgia, the home town of his future wife.¹⁹
     William married Mary Jeanne Jordan, daughter of Esther Deen, on 3 Mar 1944 in Tallahassee, Florida, where he was then stationed, in a quiet ceremony with no attendants.¹¹
     By 21 Mar 1944 William had been deployed to the Pacific theater.²⁰ He was a pilot assigned to the 531st Fighter Squadron, 21st Fighter Group as a First Lieutenant.^21,22
     Mary returned to her home town, Waycross, Georgia, after their marriage. She visited William's parents in Sandusky, Ohio, for a week in early Jul 1944, after he had been shipped to the Pacific.²³

Lost at Sea Off Iwo Jima --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     On 3 Jun 1945 he took off from Iwo Jima, as "Yellow 3," without a wingman, piloting a P-51D Mustang fighter-bomber named "Ramblin' Rebel." He was on a dive bombing and strafing mission against the Japanese communications center on Chi Chi Jima. There were scattered clouds over the target and visibility was excellent, aside for a few thin clouds over the center of the island. Over the target, he bombed radio station no. 7, hitting the target, and climbed away with no anti-aircraft fire observed. Afterwards, he called the squadron leader, Capt. William Smith, on the radio to ask permission to make a strafing run against a ship on the southwest coast of the island. He received permission, but no further contact was heard from him. No oil slick or smoke was observed around the island.³
     William was listed as missing in action, and eventually declared killed on 3 Jun 1945, at age 22.^12,13
     He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal and the Air Medal. He is listed on the tablets at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, Courts of the Missing, Court 7.^24,25 He is also listed on a memorial plaque in Remembrance Park, Columbus, Ohio, in front of the ROTC Building at Ohio State University.²⁶