His first assignment was with a P-47 Thunderbolt outfit, the 358th Fighter Group, which was deployed to England in October 1943 for bomber escort duty with the Eighth Air Force. Just prior to D-Day, the group was used for interdiction missions in preparation for the invasion of Normandy. Subsequently, the group was transferred to the Ninth Air Force and flew close air support missions for General George S. Patton's drive through France. During this period, his group was cited three times by the president for its performance. By the time the war ended, Wilson had flown 114 combat missions and had become commander of the 367th Fighter Squadron.