(U.S. Air National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Kasie Faddis)
By Troy Turner
BIRMINGHAM — It was years after D-Day on June 6, 1944, before World War II veteran Wallace “Wally” King stepped foot on the beaches of Normandy.
But, even at the age of 101, he keeps going back, and this year, members of the 117th Air Refueling Wing, Alabama Air National Guard, helped send him off.
King was a fighter pilot with the 513th Fighter Squadron, was shot down in 1945, taken prisoner, escaped and later was credited with creating counter interference during the Battle of the Bulge, according to various reports.
King flew over Normandy after the initial D-Day invasion, and in total flew 75 combat missions during the war, according to a story by Nicholas Vercilla in King’s hometown newspaper, the New Castle (Pa.) News.
“During his last mission on April 18, 1945, his plane was hit by a German anti-artillery gun and was forced to escape from his plane in enemy territory. He suffered a broken leg and burns across his body, and was attacked by armed German civilians before he was saved by the Luftwaffe, Germany’s air force personnel.
“King said the Germans took him to a makeshift hospital, then later carried him on a stretcher to a German ambulance to another medical unit. In both instances, there was no medicine available. King stated he was getting gangrene in his burn wounds.
“King said he, two other American prisoners, a few orderlies and a German captain hid from the Nazi SS for three days until the German medical unit snuck at night and delivered the three Americans to the Allies.
“After recovering in France for two months, he was sent back home to the United States.
“He thought he would have to be called back to service for a potential Allied invasion of Japan, but that was halted when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
Partners honoring WWII vets
Members of the Alabama Guard’s 117th Air Refueling Wing on May 30 visited the Birmingham International Airport to give King a send-off on his fourth return trip to Normandy.
Delta Airline, based in Atlanta, also played a key role, working in partnership with Michelin and Best Defense Foundation to support the return of 23 veterans to Normandy.
“In addition to supporting the week-long events, the global airline will host a nonstop charter flight directly from Atlanta to Deauville, Normandy Airport on May 31, arriving in Deauville on June 1 and returning to Atlanta on June 9,” a Delta statement reported. “This will mark only the fourth time a U.S. passenger airline will fly directly to Normandy, with the other three being the Delta charter flights from 2022-2024.”
Best Defense Foundation provides caregivers for each World War II veteran throughout the trip, including Delta team members from its Veterans Business Resource Group.
“It is our honor and privilege to continue this historic charter and week-long celebration as a journey of remembrance and gratitude, dedicated to our World War II heroes,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “Delta has a deep history of supporting our military service members and veterans, and this program is one of the many ways we live our values in service of those who served us.”
The 117th is based at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham and flies the KC-135R Stratotanker.
The 117th recently was selected by a U.S Air Force committee as one of seven locations under final consideration to base the KC-46A Pegasus aircraft, a more modern, Boeing-designed military aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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