Bill Schleppegrell
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Bill Schleppegrell was born in 1923 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the son of Victor and Marie Schlappegrell, and graduated from Littlefork High School in 1940.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces on December 7, 1942. He served as Second Lieutenant, and was assigned to the 371st Fighter Group of the Ninth Air Force based in England and France.
He was the pilot of a P-47 Thunderbolt, and flew in seventeen missions before he was shot down while dive-bombing near Saarbrücken, Germany. He was a POW in Stalag I, Barth, Germany, until the end of the war in Europe.
Mr. Schleppegrell was awarded the following: Purple Heart, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and POW Medal.
He was honorably discharged in December 1945.
Source: Veterans’ Memorial Hall veteran history form; veteran’s account (below)
“Enlisted on December 7, 1942, out in December 1945. Flight Training at Michigan State; San Antonio; Oklahoma City; Enid, Oklahoma; Victoria, Texas (wings); Richmond; Bradley Field, CT; “Shrewsbury, England. Combat Bases: Dijon, Dole, Nancy in France. Flew P-47 Thunderbolt. Shot down by ant-aircraft fire on 17th mission while dive-bombing near Saarbrücken, Germany. POW at Stalag I, Barth, Germany till end of war in May.”
