William Walter Lentz, Jr. was born on March 3, 1921. He was the son of William Walter and Kate Morrow Lentz Tillson. He resided in Wake County, North Carolina prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on April 3, 1942 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents. William served as a First Lieutenant and Pilot on B-17G #42-38138, 560th Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

William was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 suffered a mid-air collision with an enemy aircraft near Plumhof, North of Hanover, Germany during the war. He is now buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium. He also has a cenotaph located in Bethesda Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina. 1Lt Lentz 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.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov