Born William Thomas Ross, Jr. on 4 May 1916 Joined USN on 8 June 1942, accepted into Pilot Training (V-5) October 1943: Pilot training complete, Ensign “Sarge” Ross is assigned to newly forming VT-20 (Torpedo Squadron 20) flying the TBM-1C Transferred to COMAIRPAC (Pearl Harbor) 16 April 1944 Deployed to USS Enterprise 4 August 1944
24 October 1944 participated in sinking of the Battleship Musashi.
Subsequently received the Navy Cross for his actions
11 Nov 1944 participated in action against a convoy in Ormac Bay for which he was subsequently awarded the Air Medal
23 November Squadron 20 transferred to USS Lexington
4 January 1945, LTJG Ross's aircraft takes shrapnel during a raid, requiring the aircraft to be ditched in heavy seas off the Southern coast of Formosa.
Pilot and crew deploy and board a life raft After 3 days at sea without food and water, LTJG Ross and his crew land on a small island to obtain water but are captured by the Japanese LTJG Ross is held on Formosa, then transferred to Ofuna (unregistered) POW camp in Tokyo June 1945 transferred to Umori (registered) POW camp
28 August 1945 Umori POW camp is liberated, and LTJG Ross is moved to a hospital ship
7 September 1945 LTJG Ross returns to the US, having lost 80 lbs and suffering illnesses requiring several months of recuperation in hospitals and on convalescent leave
14 June 1946 temporarily transferred to Shanghai to testify at a war trial of Japanese soldiers that executed his crewmen (ARM2 Aldro and ACM2 McVay) on 19 June 1945 Honorably discharged from USN in 1946 Passed 16 April 1989, Pensacola, Florida