William Thomas McCoy was born on April 17, 1920. He was the son of James B. McCoy and Eva Perry McCoy. He enrolled in Clemson University in 1937, graduating with the Class of 1941. Immediately following his graduation, he was comissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry in the U.S. Army.

In April 1942, he transferred to the Air Corps. He received his pilot training as well as his wings at Spence Field, Georgia on December 13, 1942. He was sent overseas in February 1943 for duty with the 10th Air Force.

He was assigned to the 25th Fighter Squadron of the 51st Fighter Group, operating P-40 aircraft in defense of both ends of the flight path across the Himalayas - the so-called "Hump." The unit attacked Japanese air and ground forces as support for the ground troops as well as aircraft using the corridor.

On October 10, 1943, he was part of a flight element to attack a match factory and ammunition dump at Tangchung, China. His P-40 did not return from the flight for unknown reasons. Two P-40s searched for 2 days, but reported no trace of wreckage or pilot.

His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. He also has a cenotaph located in Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery, Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina. William was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, https://airforce.togetherweserved.com