William Bruce Penfold, Sr. was born in West Seneca, New York, in 1923. After graduating from East Aurora High School in 1941, "Bruce" took flying lessons at the Gardenville Airport with his friend Carl Logel. They soloed at the same time, flying Piper J-3 Cubs in formation while dreaming of flying two P-40 pursuit planes.

In early 1943, Bruce and Carl decided to join the Army Air Corps together and become aviation cadets. Carl was classified 1A and could be drafted anytime, but Bruce was 4C because he lived on a farm and his brother had already been called up. Without telling his parents, Bruce went to the draft board and had his classification changed to 1A. Carl passed his physical and was sworn in, but Bruce failed the eye exam. The doctor told him how to strengthen his eye muscles so he could try again in a few months.

Now classified 1A, Bruce knew he might end up as a foot soldier. Rather than risk it, he joined the Merchant Marines. His dream of being a pilot was put on hold.

In January 1944, after a long deployment on a Liberty ship, Bruce arrived at New York Harbor. As he headed home, he saw signs saying "Be a Pilot with the Army Air Corps." He again tried to join, and this time passed the eye test. He was sent to basic training in Greensboro, North Carolina, college classes at Kent State University in Ohio, and flight training in Lubbock, Texas. While in Texas, his program was canceled because Uncle Sam had enough pilots-or perhaps because the atomic bomb was ready. Bruce's Air Force career ended. He later learned that his friend Carl was killed while bombing a train loaded with ammunition.

After the war, Bruce bought an Army Air Corps surplus Fairchild flight trainer. He was a daredevil, taking off and landing in tight spaces, somehow avoiding tall trees. He circled church steeples and did loop-de-loops in the air. Once he had a close call in the Adirondacks. The plane was low on fuel, and he had to drop out of heavy clouds. He was fifty miles off course because of a faulty compass, but luckily dropped down into a valley instead of a mountain.

When Bruce began dating his new girlfriend, Betty Smithley, he'd land in a field by her house to pick her up. Betty wouldn't fly with him unless he was careful. They married in 1947 and settled in the Town of Wales. Bruce earned his Master's Degree in Education from Buffalo State College and became a vocational instructor at BOCES, and then an administrator. His eight children may never have been born if he'd reached his dream of being a fighter pilot.

Bruce enjoyed air shows and airplane museums, and especially loved visiting the Air and Space Museum. He never made it to the Udvar-Hazy Center where this monument wall was installed, but he would have been honored to know that his name did!