Foil: 14 Panel: Retired United Pilots Association Column: 2 Line: 10

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. William Anderson

Like so many other young men in the 1940s, William Y. (Willie) Anderson joined the U.S. Armed Service to fly, and began his career as a fledgling aviator flying the Stearman PT-17 biplane trainer today, more than forty years later, he still occasionally takes a Stearman aloft into the Illinois skies.

Willie's Air Force training continued with his flying the Vultee BT-13, the North American AT-6, the Seversky P-35, and the Curtiss P-40; later in his career, he added to his logbook flight time in the Bell P-39 Airacobra, Lockheed P-38 Lightning, and the Spitfire Mk. V, and three models of the Mustang the P-51A, B, and D. Willie joined the Pioneer Mustang Group (the 354th FG) and the 353rd FS ("The Fighting Cobras") in January, 1943, in Tonopah, Nevada the 353rd had previously been activated at Hamilton Field, California, on 15 November 1942, under Commanding Officer Maj. Owen M. Seaman.

The 353rd made moves to Santa Rosa, Portland Oregon, and then to no one's real surprise to war. Each man was issued jungle fatigues, all the shots and gear necessary for the Pacific War with the Japanese, and then (in the typical military efficiency way) sent to Colchester, England, to stage against the Third Reich. Willie flew numerous combat missions and became an Ace, with an "official" total of 9.5 air-to-air victories (recently uncovered historical records indicate his victory total may be closer to 15); three of his outstanding kills were scored in a rare Triple, for which he received the Silver Star. Among Willie's medals is the French Croix de Guerre. Not counted on the victory scoreboard are the German V-l Buzz Bombs he downed, being among the first Allied pilots to do so.("Most of the time," Willie recalls, "We stayed away from the things------every gunner on this side of the lines would be blasting away at them, and didn't much care if there was an aircraft flying alongside it or not.")

One of Willie's victims?—again, not on the victory board?—was a Spitfire."He shot at me first," Willie notes.

Lest that seem strange, remember, too, that the Germans flew many types of Allied aircraft -- ?—Spitfires included -- ?—and shot down many "friendlies" simply by joining up on them and waiting till the other fellow's head was turned.

After the war, Willie became a commercial airline pilot and in his career flew the DC-3, DC-4, Convair 340, DC-6, DC-7, Se-210 Caravelle, DC-8, DC-10, and the 747. Willie's self-written retirement paragraph, left as a legacy to the United Airlines pilots still flying the line, was a master work and ended with the statement, "May the Wind at Your Back Be Your Own."
While stationed in England with the 353rd, Willie flew three different P-51's, all coded F7*T, and all bearing the logo "Swede's Steed". The original Steed was lost while being flown by another 353rd pilot on a mission over enemy ter¬ritory. Like that B Model Mustang, "Swede's Steed II" was similarly named to reflect Willies native Sweden; it was in this aircraft that he achieved his first air-to-air victory. Eventually, the second Steed became War Weary and was relegated to being a squadron trainer, and the silver P-51D "Swede's Steed III" became Willie's aircraft for the remainder of the War.