Personnel

MAJ. WILLIAM W. VEAL was 349th Commanding Officer.

ORGINAL 100TH CREW #A-2 CREW PILOT, WENT OVERSEAS IN AC #42-5861 (STUD DUCK) WITH THE FOLLOWING ON BOARD.



MAJ    WILLIAM W. VEAL                             PILOT:X-FERED TO 13th COMBAT WING, OCT 1943

CAPT   ALBERT C. PERSONS                           PILOT: CPT

M/SGT  RALPH RICHARDS                              LINE CHIEF           

M/SGT  ELWOOD E. PARK                              FLIGHT CHIEF

T/SGT  QUE E. BOOTH                                ARMAMENT

T/SGT  ELMER MOST                                  BOMB SIGHT MAINT.

1ST LT ALFRED A. FAHLSTEDT                   BOMBARDIER: CPT     

M/SGT  MARVIN WILLIAMS                             GROUP S-3

CPL    JOHN J. KOVACS                              RADIO: KIA 6 MAR 44 BERLIN

       ATC NAVIAGTOR 



WILLIAM VEAL REMAINED IN THE SERVICE AND RETIRED WITH THE RANK OF MAJOR GENERAL JULY 31, 1972, ONE OF THE FIVE 100TH MEMBERS TO ATTAIN GENERAL RANK. In Oct 1943 Maj Veal and Capt.  Robert Kaiser were transferred to the 13th CBW at Horham. 



MAJ  WILLIAM VEAL FLEW WITH THE SAMMY BARR CREW ON THE REGENSBURG MISSION IN "TORCHY II" 42-30170 XR-G



MISSIONS FOR MAJ WILLIAM VEAL: (COURTESY OF PAUL ANDREWS)



1. 29/6/43  LEMANS  A/C 42-5861-LADEN MAIDEN (W/LT BARNHILL CREW)

2.   4/7/43  LAPALLICE  A/C 42-30305-FLAK SHACK (W/LT BARNHILL CREW)

3. 14/7/43  LE BOURGET  A/C 42-30305-FLAK SHACK (W/LT BARNHILL & COL HARDING)

4. 12/8/43  WESSLING-BONN A/C 42-30170-TORCHY II W/SAMMY BARR CREW

5. 15/8/43  MERVILLE  A/C 42-30170-TORCHY II  W/SAMMY BARR CREW

6. 17/8/43  REGENSBURG  A/C 42-30170-TORCHY II W/SAMMY BARR CREW

7.   3/9/43  PARIS   A/C 42-30259-DAMIFINO II W/SAMMY BARR CREW

8. 26/9/43  PARIS   A/C 42-30487-TORCHY III  W/SAMMY BARR CREW



Date Crew Nbr Mission Nbr Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target

4/12/1944 20 146 LOMBARDI W.V. S/SGT TG 708 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/12/1944 20 146 FREDERICK W.H. S/SGT LWG 708 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/12/1944 20 146 GRIMES C.L. S/SGT RWG 708 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/12/1944 20 146 BUCHANAN E. S/SGT BTG 708 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/12/1944 20 146 LYNCH D.A. T/SGT TTE 708 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/12/1944 20 146 HENDRICKS H.J T/SGT ROG 708 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/12/1944 20 146 WHITE L.D. LT BOM 708 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/12/1944 20 146 KING E.C. LT NAV 708 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/12/1944 20 146 VEAL W.W. LT COL COM 708 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/12/1944 20 146 ZELLER J.L. CAPT P 708 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)



LT COL. WILLIAM VEAL FROM 13TH CBW FLEW AS COMMAND PILOT. THE 100TH BOMB GROUP MUST HAVE BEEN LEADING THE 13TH CBW WHICH IN TURN WAS LEADING THE 3RD AIR DIVISION FOR LT COL VEAL TO BE FLYING WITH THE 100TH BG.



Major General William Veal entered active military service in Feb 1940 and was commissioned a second Lt in October of 1940.  During World War II he was the 100th Bomb Group (H), 349th BS Commanding Officer with the rank of Major. Arriving with the Original cadre in June 1943 and staying until October of 1943 when he was transferred to 13th Combat Wing HQ. He participated in the campaigns of Normandy, Air Offensive Europe, Rome-Arno, Southern France and Northern France. 

 

Major Gen. William W. Veal's decorations include: Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with OLC, Bronze Star, Air Medal with OLC, Air Force Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Distinguished Unit Citation, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, French Legion of Honor.

 

 





                                           MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM W. VEAL

 

 

                                               Retired July 31, 1972.   



Major General William Watterston Veal is commander of the Sacramento Air Materiel Area at McClellan Air Force Base, Calif. 



General Veal was born in New York City in 1914. He graduated from Riverdale High School in Toronto, Canada, in 1935, received a bachelor of science degree in metallurgy from the University of Toronto, in 1939, and a master's degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, in 1949. He entered active military service in February 1940 as an aviation cadet and was commissioned a second lieutenant in October 1940. 



Major General William Veal entered active military service in Feb 1940 and was commissioned a second Lt in October of 1940.  During World War II he was the 100th Bomb Group (H),  349th BS Commanding Officer with the rank of Major.  Arriving with the Original cadre in June 1943 and staying until October of 1943 when he was transferred to 13th Combat Wing HQ. He participated in the campaigns of Normandy, Air Offensive Europe, Rome-Arno, Southern France and Northern France. 



He returned to the United States in March 1946 and was in a Reserve status until July 1946, during which time he was employed by the Nome Creek Mining Company, Alaska, in charge of production. 



In July 1946 General Veal returned to active military duty and was assigned to Headquarters Army Air Forces, in Washington, D.C., in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations as executive and operations officer in the Operations Division. In September 1947 he was assigned as officer in charge of Sub-section, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He entered Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga., in August 1948. 



General Veal returned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in September 1949, attended a student course in the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Comptroller, and in October 1949 was assigned as chief, Machine Accounting Division. In June 1951 he was transferred to Headquarters Air Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where he served as chief, Statistical Services Division, and in September 1953 was assigned as special project officer, Office of the Commander, and was chairman of a special task force group to study reorganization of the Directorate of Procurement and Production. On completion of this assignment he entered the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in August. 1954. 



In September 1955 General Veal was assigned to Headquarters Air Materiel Forces, Europe, at Lindsey Air Station, Germany, as director for procurement and production; and in September 1956 he was named chief of the Programming Office. He became deputy and vice commander of Central Air Materiel Area, Europe, at Chateauroux, France, in November 1957, and was named deputy commander of Headquarters Air Materiel Forces, Europe, at Chateauroux, France, in May 1958. 



In June 1959 General Veal returned to the United States and became deputy commander of Mobile Air Materiel Area, Brookley Air Force Base, Ala. He became deputy commander, Dayton Air Force Depot, Gentile Air Force Station, Dayton, Ohio, in June 1960, and commander in December 1960. He attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University in February 1960. He was promoted to the temporary grade of brigadier general effective April 1, 1961. During 1962 and 1963 he was commander of Defense Electronics Supply Center, also in Dayton, Ohio. 



In August 1963 he became the auditor general of the Air Force. He was assigned to Defense Supply Agency at Cameron Station, Va., in July 1964 as deputy director for contract administration and assumed duties in July 1966 as director, plans and programs, Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. 



In November 1967 General Veal was assigned as commander, Sacramento Air Materiel Area, McClellan Air Force Base, Calif. 



His military decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem, French Croix de Guerre with palm, French Legion of Honor. 



General Veal's hometown is Toronto, Canada. 



He was promoted to the temporary grade of major general effective Feb. 27, 1964, with date of rank July 1, 1959, 



(Current as of Jan. 15, 1970)





> Below is the result of your feedback form.  It was submitted 

> by Gary D. Moore (gary@gmasw.com) on Friday, January 13, 2006 

> at 15:44:59

 

 subject: 100th Bomb Group TAPS Report Form

 email: gary@gmasw.com

 realname: Gary D. Moore

 relationship: I am the veteran's friend but not related

 vet_name: William W. Veal

 vet_died: 09-Dec-2005







                                                EULOGY TO MAJOR GEN. WILLIAM W. VEAL

                                                                         BY 

                                                   MICHAEL P. FALEY-100TH BG HISTORIAN

 

Major General William Veal, one of the five 100th BG members to attain flag rank, entered active military service in Feb 1940 and was commissioned a second Lt. in October of 1940.  During World War II he was the 100th Bomb Group (H), 349th BS Commanding Officer with the rank of Major.  Arriving with the Original cadre until October of 1943 when he was transferred to 13th Combat Wing HQ along with Capt. Bob Kaiser. He participated in the campaigns of Normandy, Air Offensive Europe, Rome-Arno, Southern France and Northern France.  

  

 Those are the facts, but they are only part of the Man. William Veal, was the heart and soul of the 349th BS.  He brought them to England as an eager bunch of boys, inexperienced in combat, and turned them into battle hardened veterans. The sobering loss of three 349th BS crews on the Groups first mission added more weight to his job of command but never deterred Maj. Veal from leading by example.  One such instance was the Aug 17, 1943 mission to Regensburg, Maj. Veal led the High Squadron with the Barr Crew and was recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross, the Nation’s second highest honor by Lt. Col. Beirne Lay Jr. The recommendation reads:

  

 "Major William Veal, leader of the high squadron, for heroic and skillful leadership of his squadron. Just before turning in to the bombing run, a cannon shell hit his #3 engine, setting it on fire, and oxygen failure occurred. Instead of turning toward the safety of the Swiss border, approximately 65 miles distant, Major Veal feathered his #3 prop, a sure tip-off to the fighters in the vicinity, in order to regain position in the formation. He successfully bombed the target, extinguished the engine fire, crossed the Alps and several hundred miles of Mediterranean and reached base in North Africa, all on three engines." 

 

 Bill Veal's leadership molded the 349th into a squadron that produced such future leaders as Little Sammy Barr, 

 Sumner Reeder, Big Joe Armanini, Cowboy Roane, Henry Henington, and Jack Justice.  Maj. Gen. William Veal left us 

 on December 9, 2005, and with his passing, we lost one of our truly unsung heroes.