Lt. William K. Lahke from Cincinnatti, OH. joined the 351st Fighter Squadron/353rd Fighter Group on June 21, 1944 and served until December 1945. Nine days after joining the squadron, Lahke was involved in a mid-air collision with Lt. Robert Larson. Lahke managed to bail out and survived while Larson was killed in the accident. On August 28, 1944, Lahke claimed his only aerial victory over a ME109.