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Remember...William Henry Whitman
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William Henry Whitman was born March 6, 1930, at Lorado, West Virginia, the only child of Elbert Allen, a coal miner, and Nawassa Craddock Whitman, a school teacher. William came from pioneer stock as both parents came from families who were among the earliest settlers in Logan County. "Bill," as he was called, grew up in South Man.
Bill received his education in the Logan County schools and graduated in 1947 from Man High School where he had lettered in football and participated in other sports. He then attended Greenbrier Military Academy in Lewisburg and Marshall College in Huntington.
| Bill entered the United States Air Force on October 10, 1950, and after completion of his training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, was assigned to the crew of a B-29 fighter plane operating from Yokota Air Force Base in Honshu, Japan. He served as a gunner. |  Flight crew. Bill Whitman is second from right, front row. |
The crew had completed a successful bombing run over Sonchon, North Korea, on November 19, 1952, when their plane was shot down an enemy MIG, forcing the crew to bail out north of Cho-Do. Most of the crew, including William Henry Whitman, perished. His body was not recovered.
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
