Major
United States Air Force Reserve
William Michael Haynes, the only son of Francis F. and Cleo M. Haynes, was born in Rock Island on 1 May 1922. After a couple of years in Rock Island, the family moved to Dixon, Illinois. It was during William’s early high school years that the family decided to moved back to Davenport.
While attending Saint Ambrose Academy, William worked for the Davenport office of the Rural Electrification Administration. After William’s graduation from Saint Ambrose Academy (Class of 1940), the family moved to Chicago.
The attack at Pearl Harbor had an affect on everyone. Including William who decided to enlist in the United States Army on 31 December 1941. After completing basic training, William signed up to become an Aviation Cadet on 31 August 1942. On 28 May 1943, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. William began his military career as a pilot with the 326th Fighter Squadron, 328th Fighter Group. On 11 December 1943, he left for England were he was assigned to the 380th Fighter Squadron, 363rd Fighter Group as a fighter pilot. During the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France, William flew fighter cover. During his assignment with the 380th Fighter Squadron, he was credited with his first kill on 16 June 1944. William returned to the United States on 20 September 1944 to become a Pilot Instructor with Squadron’s A and O, 344th Army Air Forces Base Unit, Punta Gorda, Florida until January 1945. He later became the 344th Army Air Forces Base Unit’s Assistant Chief Base Operations Officer.
His next assignment took him Sherman Field, Kansas as the Assistant Supervisor of Flying for the 355th Army Air Forces Base Unit. In August 1946, he received orders for Bamberg, Germany where he served as the Operations Officer and Supervisor of Flying for the 14th Liaison Squadron. After fourteen months in post war Germany, he received orders to become the Assistant Operations Officer and Motor Transportation Officer for the 61st Air Force Base Unit, Byrd Field in Richmond, Virginia. From April 1948 to March 1949, he was the Motor Transportation Officer, Assistant Operations Officer, and Base Operations Officer for the 2235th Air Force Reserve Training Center at Byrd Field.
First Lieutenant William Haynes with the 380th Fighter Squadron in August 1944
Pictures courtesy Marilyn (Haynes) Ashley
After spending two years in Virginia, it was time to move on to Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina where he served as the Operations Officer, and Intelligence Staff Officer for the Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 8th Air Division; Supply Officer for
Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 9th Air Force; and the Supply Officer for the Headquarters 4415th Air Base Group.
William received orders in July 1952 for Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska where he served as the Air Transportation Officer with the 39th Transportation Squadron and the 5039th Transportation Squadron. His final assignment brought him back to the lower 48 states in July 1954 to become the Supply Inspector with Headquarters Central Air Defense Force, Grandview Air Force Base, in Grandview, Missouri.
Major William Michael Haynes, United States Air Force Reserve, died from melanoma at the 3700 United States Air Force Hospital at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas in January 1955. He is buried in Dixon, Illinois. Among his awards and decorations is the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 8 Oak Leaf Clusters, World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze Service Stars, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Aviation Badge “Pilot”.
William was survived by his wife Ann; two children Carole Ann and Michael; his father; and sister, Marilyn (Lynn) F. Ashley.
Source of Information:
1. e-Mail from Lynn Ashley on 22 January 2004. Lynn is William’s sister.
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