William Russell Pritchard
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
PRITCHARD, William Russell
William Russell Pritchard was born on February 4th 1916 to Grover Cleveland & Olga Caroline [Erickson] Pritchard.
Mr. Pritchard was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corps on May 27th 1942, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota during WWII. Home at entry: Hibbing, Minnesota.
He served as an airplane mechanic with the 486th Fighter Squadron of the 352nd Fighter Group in the Air Offensive Europe, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe. He rrose to the rank of Sergeant (SGT).
SGT Pritchard earned the following merits during his service:
- Presidential Unit Citation,
- Good Conduct Medal,
- European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 6 bronze battle stars,
- the World War II Victory Medal, -and-
- four overseas service bars.
He was honorably discharged September 29th 1945, at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. After the war he returned home and married
Mr. Pritchard died on October 2nd 1994 at 78 years of age. He is buried at Maple Hill Cemetery in Hibbing, Minnesota.
Source(s): Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 257.
Albert J. Amatuzio Research Center | Veterans Memorial Hall (vets-hall.org)
F3 - US - William R Pritchard in Social Security Death Index (fold3.com)
William Russell Pritchard (1916-1994) - Find a Grave Memorial
Web: Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 - Ancestry.com
