P-51D CY-G
P-51D CY-N
P-51D CY-S 44-13907

Completed a 325 hours Combat Tour

Born in New Jersey in 1921, William H. Lewis was raised in Pasadena, California. He attended high school and college in the Los Angeles area before entering the Army Air Forces cadet program in January 1942. He was commissioned a second lieutenant upon graduation from flying school in October of that year.
Lieutenant Lewis served as a P-38 instructor at Williams Field, Arizona, until assignment to the 55th Fighter Group of the 8th Air Force in England in 1943. He flew P-38s in combat through D-Day, then the group transitioned to P-51 Mustangs. Lewis saw much air combat while flying P-51s and totalled eight air victories; four FW-190s, three Me-109s and a Ju-88. He qualified as a "Super Loco Buster" by destroying over 25 German trains.
On one occasion over Germany, Captain Lewis was credited with a victory over a German fighter without firing a shot. Both Lewis and the Me-109 pilot exchanged positions while in a near-vertical dive. As their speed increased, the 109 lost a wing and crashed. Lewis had enough altitude left and exercised "ammo austerity" and raced for home!
Following WWII, Major Lewis participated as a test pilot in the Air Force thunderstorm/lightning strike program at the All Weather Flying Division in P-61 Black Widows and P-80 Shooting Star jets. He was a C-54 operations officer during the Berlin Airlift, then returned to fighters as commanding officer of the 722nd Fighter Squadron flying F-86s and F-100s.
The remainder of Colonel Lewis' Air Force career was spent in airlift commands: 815th Tactical Airlift Squadron (C-130s); two combat tours in Vietnam; and a stint as Vice Commander of the 322nd Tactical Airlift Wing in Germany and finally commander of Forbes Air Force Base at Topeka, Kansas.

After retirement in August 1972, his civilian endeavours occurred in the petroleum industry. He lived near Vandenberg AFB, California with his "beautiful fighter pilot's wife of over 40 years and two dogs: a German Shepherd named Schweinhund and a Great Dane called Break Right." Bill passed away in 1986.