#VeteranOfTheDay Army Air Force Veteran William McGowan

William McGowan

2nd Lt. William McGowan served with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Originally from Minnesota, McGowan worked as a journalist prior to his service in the Army Air Forces. He was familiar with the business and the nature of reporting, as his father owned a newspaper, the Swift County Monitor News.

McGowan attended the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism and graduated in September 1942. His Army Air Force training started a few months later, in February 1943, and by December that year, he received the rank of second lieutenant. His next stop was advanced fighter pilot training in Louisiana. While stationed in Louisiana, he married Suzanne Schaefer. With World War II going on, he was soon sent to England. As a member of the 391st Fighter Squadron, specifically the 366th Fighter Group, he was a part of the Normandy invasion on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He was on his third mission of the day when his plane was shot down. He was 23 years old. 

The U.S. searched the area extensively, first in 1947, then again in 2010. In 2018, McGowan was officially identified. After 78 years, he was finally laid to rest with full military honors in the Normandy American Cemetery in July 2022.

For years, McGowan was listed as missing, and his name is inscribed on the Wall of the Missing at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. There are approximately 1,600 men that took part in World War II who are still unaccounted for, but thanks to the great strides that have been made in the ability to identify remains, we are now missing one less. 

Since McGowan’s remains have been found, a rosette has been placed next to his name inscribed on the Wall of the Missing. This symbolizes that he has been laid to rest at a gravesite and is no longer missing.

McGowan is the recipient of an Air Medal and a Purple Heart.

We honor his service.

Writer: Amanda Watkins

Editors: Alexandra Kaiser, Cynthia Xu

Researchers: Carl Wesseln, Raphael Romea

Graphic Designer: Yasmine Pierce