William Harrell Nellis
William Harrell Nellis (born March 8, 1916 in Santa Rita , New Mexico , † December 27, 1944 in Luxembourg ) was a first lieutenant in the United States Army Air Forces .
William Harrell Nellis flew over 70 combat missions during World War II and was shot down three times, the last time fatal. On April 30, 1950, the US Air Force renamed the Las Vegas Army Air Field in Nevada to Nellis Air Force Base in his honor.
Shortly after Williams was born, his family moved to Searchlight , Nevada , when he was 13 years old in Las Vegas . He graduated from high school in Las Vegas, then (December 9, 1942) he joined the United States Army Reserve, where he was trained in Albany, Georgia . On January 7, 1944, he was appointed flight officer.
On July 9, 1944, Nellis was assigned to the 513th Fighter Squadron (the 513rd Fighter Squadron), which was used in support of the army of General George S. Patton .
On December 27, 1944, he was shot down in a Republic P-47 by ground fire when he attacked a German convoy in Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge . He was flying too low to parachute off.
Individual evidence
- ^ Online Nevada Encyclopedia
- ↑ a b www.nellis.af.mil ( Memento from December 29, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Nellis, William Harrell |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American officer, U.S. Air Force lieutenant |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 8, 1916 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Santa Rita , New Mexico |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 27, 1944 |
| Place of death | Luxembourg |