William served as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner Gunner, B-17-F #41-24449, 401st Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Winnebago County, Illinois prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on August 26, 1941, prior to the war, in Chicago, Illinois. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17-F #41-24449 took off, with a crew of 10, on a bombing mission over Lorient, France. They were last sighted with one of their engines on fire and eventually "exploding" 5 minutes after passing over their target during the war. The entire crew was lost in this explosion.
William was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 16034523
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17-F #41-24449:
Bloodgood, William D. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NY
Buchanan, Hubert B. ~ T/Sgt, Waist Gunner, TX
Chubb, William S. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, NJ
Dreisbach, Frank T. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, KY
Gearhart, Arden G. ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, MI
Marks, William R. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, IL
Steele, William H. ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MS
Tabor, Cecil R. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Velasquez, Donald ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, ID
Zeeck, Willy H. W. ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MT
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave:
WILLIAM ROBERT MARKS WAS BORN ABOUT 1921 TO JAMES EDWARD MARKS AND LILLIAN MARKS { YETTERBERG } IN KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES. WILLIAM LIVED MOST OF HIS SHORT LIFE IN ROCKFORD, WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ILLINOIS. WILLIAM INLISTED IN THS AIR CORPS ON AUGUST 26, 1941 HE WAS STAFF SERGEANT OF THE 401ST BOMBER SQUADRON 91ST BOMBER. WILLIAM WAS LAST SEEN ON
DECEMBER 30, 1942 JUMPING FROM A PLANE IN FRANCE HE WAS LISTED MISSING IN ACTION AND DECLARED DEAD HIS BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED. HE WAS GIVEN A PURPLE HEART MEDAL AND AIR MEDAL. WILLIAM HAD TWO BROTHERS GEORGE ARNOLD MARKS AND DONALD ROGER MARKS BOTH OF ROCKFORD, WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
He resided in Winnebago County, Illinois prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on August 26, 1941, prior to the war, in Chicago, Illinois. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17-F #41-24449 took off, with a crew of 10, on a bombing mission over Lorient, France. They were last sighted with one of their engines on fire and eventually "exploding" 5 minutes after passing over their target during the war. The entire crew was lost in this explosion.
William was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 16034523
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17-F #41-24449:
Bloodgood, William D. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NY
Buchanan, Hubert B. ~ T/Sgt, Waist Gunner, TX
Chubb, William S. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, NJ
Dreisbach, Frank T. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, KY
Gearhart, Arden G. ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, MI
Marks, William R. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, IL
Steele, William H. ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MS
Tabor, Cecil R. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Velasquez, Donald ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, ID
Zeeck, Willy H. W. ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MT
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave:
WILLIAM ROBERT MARKS WAS BORN ABOUT 1921 TO JAMES EDWARD MARKS AND LILLIAN MARKS { YETTERBERG } IN KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES. WILLIAM LIVED MOST OF HIS SHORT LIFE IN ROCKFORD, WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ILLINOIS. WILLIAM INLISTED IN THS AIR CORPS ON AUGUST 26, 1941 HE WAS STAFF SERGEANT OF THE 401ST BOMBER SQUADRON 91ST BOMBER. WILLIAM WAS LAST SEEN ON
DECEMBER 30, 1942 JUMPING FROM A PLANE IN FRANCE HE WAS LISTED MISSING IN ACTION AND DECLARED DEAD HIS BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED. HE WAS GIVEN A PURPLE HEART MEDAL AND AIR MEDAL. WILLIAM HAD TWO BROTHERS GEORGE ARNOLD MARKS AND DONALD ROGER MARKS BOTH OF ROCKFORD, WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
William served as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner Gunner, B-17-F #41-24449, 401st Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Winnebago County, Illinois prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on August 26, 1941, prior to the war, in Chicago, Illinois. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17-F #41-24449 took off, with a crew of 10, on a bombing mission over Lorient, France. They were last sighted with one of their engines on fire and eventually "exploding" 5 minutes after passing over their target during the war. The entire crew was lost in this explosion.
William was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 16034523
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17-F #41-24449:
Bloodgood, William D. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NY
Buchanan, Hubert B. ~ T/Sgt, Waist Gunner, TX
Chubb, William S. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, NJ
Dreisbach, Frank T. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, KY
Gearhart, Arden G. ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, MI
Marks, William R. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, IL
Steele, William H. ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MS
Tabor, Cecil R. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Velasquez, Donald ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, ID
Zeeck, Willy H. W. ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MT
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave:
WILLIAM ROBERT MARKS WAS BORN ABOUT 1921 TO JAMES EDWARD MARKS AND LILLIAN MARKS { YETTERBERG } IN KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES. WILLIAM LIVED MOST OF HIS SHORT LIFE IN ROCKFORD, WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ILLINOIS. WILLIAM INLISTED IN THS AIR CORPS ON AUGUST 26, 1941 HE WAS STAFF SERGEANT OF THE 401ST BOMBER SQUADRON 91ST BOMBER. WILLIAM WAS LAST SEEN ON
DECEMBER 30, 1942 JUMPING FROM A PLANE IN FRANCE HE WAS LISTED MISSING IN ACTION AND DECLARED DEAD HIS BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED. HE WAS GIVEN A PURPLE HEART MEDAL AND AIR MEDAL. WILLIAM HAD TWO BROTHERS GEORGE ARNOLD MARKS AND DONALD ROGER MARKS BOTH OF ROCKFORD, WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
He resided in Winnebago County, Illinois prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on August 26, 1941, prior to the war, in Chicago, Illinois. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a welder and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17-F #41-24449 took off, with a crew of 10, on a bombing mission over Lorient, France. They were last sighted with one of their engines on fire and eventually "exploding" 5 minutes after passing over their target during the war. The entire crew was lost in this explosion.
William was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 16034523
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17-F #41-24449:
Bloodgood, William D. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NY
Buchanan, Hubert B. ~ T/Sgt, Waist Gunner, TX
Chubb, William S. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, NJ
Dreisbach, Frank T. ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, KY
Gearhart, Arden G. ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, MI
Marks, William R. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, IL
Steele, William H. ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MS
Tabor, Cecil R. ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Velasquez, Donald ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, ID
Zeeck, Willy H. W. ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MT
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave:
WILLIAM ROBERT MARKS WAS BORN ABOUT 1921 TO JAMES EDWARD MARKS AND LILLIAN MARKS { YETTERBERG } IN KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES. WILLIAM LIVED MOST OF HIS SHORT LIFE IN ROCKFORD, WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ILLINOIS. WILLIAM INLISTED IN THS AIR CORPS ON AUGUST 26, 1941 HE WAS STAFF SERGEANT OF THE 401ST BOMBER SQUADRON 91ST BOMBER. WILLIAM WAS LAST SEEN ON
DECEMBER 30, 1942 JUMPING FROM A PLANE IN FRANCE HE WAS LISTED MISSING IN ACTION AND DECLARED DEAD HIS BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED. HE WAS GIVEN A PURPLE HEART MEDAL AND AIR MEDAL. WILLIAM HAD TWO BROTHERS GEORGE ARNOLD MARKS AND DONALD ROGER MARKS BOTH OF ROCKFORD, WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Bio by: Tracey Cordova
Inscription
SSGT 401 BOMB SQ 91 BOMB GP ILLINOIS
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