William George Dougherty entered the military service in Pennsylvania. He served in the 563rd Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group, Heavy as a First Lieutenant and Navigator of an aircraft during World War II. He was declared "Missing in Action" on March 15, 1945 on a bombing mission and is commemorated on the Tablets of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands. The initial target was the marshalling yard of Oraniënburg, but 31 aircraft, including #44-8594, bombed the marshalling yard of Wittenberg as a target of opportunity.

On the bomb run one engine was hit by anti-aircraft fire. A few minutes later this engine was lost and the aircraft had to leave the formation. The plane flew towards friendly territory for two hours without any trouble. Finally, only three minutes from friendly territory, the plane was hit again by anti-aircraft fire, knocking out another engine and causing a large hole in one wing. Due to this damage, the plane went into a spin. Four crew members survived, five were killed. The remains of Lt Dougherty were never recovered. 1Lt Dougherty was one of the many brave Americans of the 388th Bomber Group who lost their lives in aerial operations against the German forces from June 1943 - August 1945.

Source of information: www.abmc.gov, www.fieldsofhonor-database.com