Bill Preddy was killed in action while strafing an enemy airfield at Ceske Budejovice, CZ on April 17, 1945, just days before the war in Europe ended.
Bill arrived in the ETO in January 1945, just in time to hear the sad news: his brother, Major George Preddy, had been killed in action while chasing an enemy aircraft over the Hurtgen Forest on Christmas Day 1944.
Bill elected to stay with his new fighter group, the 339th, and do his part. He knew George would have wanted that. Bill claimed two aerial victories on March 2, 1945. The brothers are buried side by side in the Lorraine American Military Cemetery, St. Avold, France.