Gerald Evan Williams Gerald Evan Williams ( 17 Dec 1907 - 17 Feb 1949 ) was a distinguished American officer in the Ninth Air Force during World War II . Background and family . Gerald Evan Williams was born in Bridgewater , Maine to Myron Luther Williams and Lottie Belle " Belle " ( Barrett ) Williams . His father ' s family had lived in Bradford , Maine since before the Civil War , but in his teens Myron moved to the rural potato - growing area of Bridgewater , where he lived with his sister ' s family , before his marriage . Belle Williams was born in Bridgewater , the daughter of a Canadian - born farmer . Myron Williams soon participated in the local economy , working as a potato buyer . Myron and Belle moved their young family to Presque Isle in 1917 , establishing a laundry business in an older section of town . Gerald Williams graduated from Presque Isle High School in 1925 and then studied for a year at Hebron Academy , where he helped the academy win the state championship in football . Congressman Ira G . Hersey of Houlton nominated Williams for appointment to the United States Military Academy . West Point and Army Air Corps . Gerald Evan Williams entered U . S . Military Academy at West Point in 1926 and graduated with a B . S . degree with the class of 1931 . He completed the academic work , while playing football four years , lacrosse two years , and wrestling two years . Shortly before graduation , he was described in the " USMA Annual " as " [ a ] cynic , [ and ] bon vivant , who would rather be wrong than gregarious , rather be right than acquiescent . " Military career . Following his graduation from West Point , Williams enlisted as a 2nd Lt . , in the U . S . Army Air Corps . He was assigned to the Flying Service at Randolph , San Antonio , Texas on September 11 , 1931 and trained in attack , bombardment , and pursuit groups . He completed Air Corps Primary Flying School , Air Corps Advanced Flying School , and Bombardment Course in 1932 , with his advanced flight trainings undertaken at Kelly Field . He would soon demonstrate his skill with multi - engined aircraft ( i . e . , medium and heavy bombers ) . Service record . Williams was stationed at Luke Field , Kaalawai , Hawaii , where he married Marjorie Parker in April 1933 . Williams was rated command pilot , combat observer , navigator ( celestial and dead reckoning ) , bombardier and unlimited pilot . Williams was next assigned to Langley Field , VA with the 20th Bombardment Squadron . In February 1937 he served as navigator for a flight from Langley Field to Panama , participating in the then - longest non - stop army flight . He experimented and he learned . On a flight in the North American BT - 9B from Virginia to San Antonio , Texas , it was reported in the " Air Corps News Letter " , " On two legs of the flight he encountered icing conditions , and while the plane picked up considerable ice the flying characteristics did not appear to be affected . The carburetor heat control , however , was entirely inadequate , and time and again with the carburetor heat full on , the carburetor iced up sufficiently to lose flying power . The opening of the mixture control , however , caused the engine to backfire , clearing the ice out of the carburetor . " 1938 Goodwill flight to Argentina . In 1938 Williams was honored as a 1st Lieutenant , to be chosen one of the pilots of a pioneering flight of six early YB - 17A " Flying Fortress " four - engined heavy bombers . Part of President Franklin D . Roosevelt ' s prescient " Hemispheric Defense Initiative " , the history - making flight commanded by Col . Robert Olds traveled 6 , 000 miles from Langley Field , Virginia , to Lima , Peru and Buenos Aires , Argentina , where Roberto M . Ortiz was being inaugurated as president . The feat was widely publicized , and an Air Corps newsletter provided lengthy descriptions . " On a bitingly cold Tuesday morning , at 9 o ' clock , February 15 , to be exact , the last of the six Boeings lifted gracefully into the air headed south for Miami . This departure was an example of all of the other take - offs of the flight . They were two minutes apart , the flight commander being the first to push the nose of his flying fortress into the cold ozone . With him he carried the greetings of Pres . Franklin D . Roosevelt to the President - elect of the Argentine , Roberto Ortiz . " " As the planes flew toward the appointed rendezvous at Point Salinas , just north of Lima , thousands of Peruvian officials and aviation fans at the Loma Tambo airport were eagerly awaiting the visitors from the Big neighbor of the North . Where frightened civilians in other countries during the past quarter century scanned the skies with dread , these friendly people were eagerly awaiting these Ambassadors of Good Will , who were bringing not bombs but messages of Friendship . Landing at 4 : 25 PM , the six planes made the record non - stop flight of 2695 miles in 15 hours and 32 minutes . " Williams ' accomplishments and skill were becoming legendary . Two years later in a landing at Presque Isle , Maine by Lieut . Williams and Capt . Neil B . Harding , a newspaper article proclaimed , " Famed Aviator Visits His Home Town . " Ninth Bomb Group . In 1940 Williams was now Captain and served with the Ninth Bomb Group in 1940 - 1941 in Panama and the Caribbean . In 1941 the United States Army Signal Corps released a photograph of Army planes arriving at Paramaribo , Dutch Guiana . Williams . by then a Major , was shown on guard duty with the plane . World War II . During the Second World War , Williams became a renowned officer in the U . S . Army Air Forces ' Ninth Air Force as commander of the B - 26 ' Marauder ' twin engined medium bombers of the 391st Bombardment Group of the Ninth Bomb Group . from 1943 to 1945 . He personally led more than 75 missions , often placing himself as lead pilot in his B - 26 " Lady Belle " on low - level bombing runs against heavily defended Axis targets in Occupied France . The " Lady Belle , " was named after his mother , Belle Williams . Williams ' Marauders were known as the " Black Death " group . As a California newspaper reported , " In less than eight months of operation the Black Death ' s Marauders carried destruction to 167 German targets . " Williams was awarded a Bronze Star medal " for meritorious achievement in direct support of combat operations against the enemy from December 23 to December 26 , 1944 . " Citing over 200 missions by Williams ' B - 26 Marauder group , the late December attack at Ahrweiler , Germany was notable . Under Col . Williams ' superior leadership and his superb power of organization ' the group went back the same day to Germany for a second mission to successfully blast a heavily defended town . Then for three succeeding days Williams ' Marauders dealt four smashing blows at German targets without losses . " Williams won Distinguished Flying Crosses from both the USAAF ( with two Oak Leaf Clusters ) , as well as from the Royal Air Force , and the " Croix de Guerre " from liberated France . Thus three nations paid tribute to his valor and leadership . The raid on the bridge at Nantes , France , on July 31 , 1944 resulted in the second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster added to his Distinguished Flying Cross . Williams believed that the success of the attack would be jeopardized if he relinquished his lead position . He thus " retained control of his battered bomber and led his formation over the bridge , blasting it out of the water . " In 1945 Gerald E . Williams was awarded a Silver Star Citation for conspicuous gallantry in action , while serving with the Ninth Air Force . The citation continued : After the war . In 1945 Williams was appointed commander of the Rapid City Army Air Base . On August 30 , 1946 he became commander of the 47th Light Bombardment Group , composed of the 84th , 85th , and 86th Bomb Squadrons . Buenos Aires . On 21 April 1948 Williams was appointed Asst . Air Attaché to the American Embassy in Buenos Aires . He worked under Brig . Gen . B . H . Hovey , the U . S . air attaché . Less than a year later , on 17 February 1949 , Williams , his wife and six other Air Force officers and enlisted men , were killed when the Air Force C - 47 transport piloted by Williams crashed on an Andean mountain in NW Argentina , on a flight from Panama " en route " to Buenos Aires . Williams and his wife were buried at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio . Texas . The Congregational Church in Presque Isle , Maine held a memorial service at 11 : 00 o ' clock on a Wednesday morning — the very same time as the funeral services in San Antonio .