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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Sponsor

Honored by:
Ms. Wanda M. Reichow

After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, and studying for and receiving his Private Pilot's License (1940) from the Civilian Pilot Training Program, William Lawrence Perry enlisted during World War II in the U.S. Navy July 15, 1940 at the age of 22 as a Seaman 2C for flight elimination training at Naval Air Station, Minneapolis, Minn. Graduating from Flight School at Pensacola, Florida, May 1941, and because of his advanced skill as a pilot, he was commissioned and immediately assigned there as a flight instructor, teaching new aviators to fly N3N and N2S (Stearman trainers). Quickly promoted to Lieutenant JG, he served as a flight instructor at Corpus Christi, Texas (1941) for the PBY and PBY 5-A.

After being promoted to Lieutenant, in 1943 Perry was transferred to Whidbey Island, Washington and became the Executive Officer of VP-61 (PBY Squadron). The squadron was then deployed to Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands (1944) and flew surveillance radar missions over the Pacific Ocean. While there he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for a volunteer mission which was a dangerous night fire control radar surveillance flight over the strategic target of Paramashiro, Japan. In 1945, he served as Executive Officer of VP-53 in Okinawa, flying search and rescue missions over the North and West Pacific Ocean .

In October 1945, Perry was promoted to Lt. Commander and was transferred to Washington D.C. to work at the Bureau of Aeronautics at the Service Engines Branch. He went on to Line School at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey California, and then was transferred to the USS Duxbury Bay (AVP Seaplane tender) where he served aboard as the ship's Navigator and Operations Officer. Two tours in the Persian Gulf ensued. He served as Military Liaison for North American Aviation as the Bureau of Aeronautics Representative in Downey, California, and was promoted to Commander. This was followed by a tour at Moffet NAS in Sunnyvale, California where he was the Operations Officer for Squadron VR-5, flying transport planes R5D and R6D, and returned for another tour of duty At the Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C. Next Commander Perry was assigned to Port Lyantey NAS in Morocco as Executive Officer. He then served as Executive Officer of Defense Contract Administration Services in Burlingame and at FMC in San Jose, California servicing tank contracts before retiring in 1968.

During his varied and distinguished career, Perry flew training aircraft N3N, N2S, OS2U, SC-1, SNB, SNJ 2, SNJ 3, SNJ 4; patrol bombers PBY and PBY 5A and 6A; the Navy AJ (created to carry the atom bomb) and transport aircraft R4D, R5D and R6D, while instructing and training numerous pilots for our nation.

Commander William L. Perry retired in July 1968 and lives in Sunnyvale, California with his wife of 64 years, Mercedes. He has 2 children, 8 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.