William C. Bennett held the rank of Staff Sergeant in the 15m Army Air Force after enlisting on February 25, 1943 (his mother's birthday) when he was 19 years old. He received his basic training in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He was stationed in Cerignola, Italy where he was a tail gunner flying in B-24's in the 15th Air Force, 738th Squadron, 454th Bombardment Group. The 454th flew 243 missions, dropping over 13,000 tons of high explosives and destroying over 150 primary targets. He was wounded on a mission over Munich, Germany on September 22,1943, convalesced on the Isle of Capri, and was awarded the Purple Heart on September 25,1944. He was honorably discharged on September 4, 1945. In addition to the Purple Heart, he was awarded the following medals: Good Conduct Medal, Air Medal and the 1st and 2nd Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal. He has always had an avid interest in aviation, learning to fly at a very early age. He worked as an airline steward for Eastern Airlines after the war, flew small private planes in his spare time, and built both gas and radio-controlled model airplanes most of his adult life.