Major William P Hess passed away quietly in his sleep with his family at his side.
Major Hess served in the Army Air Corps during WWII from 1942 thru his discharge in 1947. His decorations included ETO with 5 Battle Stars, ATO5 Battle Stars, Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, The Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Silver Star.
On his mission on December 31, 1944, he shot down 4 enemy aicraft, making him a triple ace. While flying thru the debris of the exploding aircraft in front of him, he reported that his P51D Mustang was running "a little rough" This did not deter then 1st Lt Hess from going back into the fray to continue to ward off the enemy from the American Bomber Stream.
The report from the line mechanic read, " Aircraft returned to base in a completely unrepairable state. How the pilot managed to land his plane is still a wonder to me. It is my opinion that the aircraft be removed from service and scrapped. 12 rounds of ammunition remained in the guns upon landing".
Lt Hess was only 24 years old during this battle. These heroes are leaving us at an astounding rate.
God Speed Major Hess
