Thomas Howard Willis was born in 1921 in Tennessee. He resided in Wayne County, Michigan prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on December 19, 1941 in Detroit, Michigan. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents. Thomas served as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator on B-17F (#42-5908), 561st Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

Thomas was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-17 was involved in a mid air collision with B-17 (#42-30370) and crashed into the North Sea. His name is commemorated on the Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom. TSgt Willis 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