WWII Pilot Bill Overstreet Died Over
Weekend
Former fighter pilot
William Overstreet Jr., famous for flying beneath the arches of the Eiffel
Tower while chasing a German aircraft during the war, died Sunday afternoon. He
was 92. Considered by many a legend for his incredible maneuver, Overstreet’s
most famous flight came while in solo pursuit of a German Messerschmitt Bf 109G
flying into Nazi-occupied Paris. He maneuvered his plane beneath the arches of
the Eiffel Tower, re-igniting the motivations of the French Resistance troops
on the ground.
Extraordinary artwork depicting one of Bill
Overstreet’s most dramatic aerial victories, by Len Krenzler of Action Art
(Image Credit: Len Krenzler / Action Art )
(Image Credit: Len Krenzler / Action Art )
Warbirds News had the
honor to meet Bill during the last Warbirds Over The Beach, the full interview
can be read here. Bill was active and enjoying air shows and
gatherings of WWII veterans through his long retirement, and we were honored
that he took the time to sit down and talk to us about his experiences.
Overstreet was honored in
2009 for his World War Two heroics. The French Ambassador presented him the
“Legion of Honor,” France’s highest award.
Memorial services for
Overstreet will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Second Presbyterian Church in Roanoke,
according to Oakey’s, with interment at 1 p.m. Saturday at Evergreen Burial
Park. His obituary states that his family requests those attending the memorial
service consider wearing something either or both red and yellow, his
squadron’s colors, and contributions be sent to the Roanoke Salvation Army (
Source Newsadvance.com).
The original link can be found at:
http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-news/wwii-pilot-bill-overstreet-died-weekend.html
No comments:
Post a Comment