William Earl Brewer
Military
Bombardier/Navigator
416th BG - 670th BS - 9th AF
findagrave.com
Object Number - UPL 48989 - 2LT William Earl Brewer Bombardier/Navigator 416th BG - 670th BS - 9th AF
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 671st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-749745
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier/Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 671st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14061249
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Aerial Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 669th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-25934
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 670th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-26102
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 671st Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Aerial Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: A-26 Invader
- Nicknames: Disagreable 4
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 671st Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: A-26 Invader
- Nicknames: Jiggs
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 671st Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: A-26 Invader
- Unit: 391st Bomb Group 416th Bomb Group 573rd Bomb Squadron 670th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: A-20 Havoc
- Unit: 410th Bomb Group 644th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: A-20 Havoc
- Unit: 416th Bomb Group 670th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Melun, Alsace
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Kinston, North Carolina | 21 October 1921 | |
| Kinston, North Carolina | 16 February 1942 | 812 College Street | |
|
Enlisted |
LeJuene, North Carolina | 2 April 1942 | Camp Davis |
|
Other First 416th BG Combat Mission |
Brest, France | 25 August 1944 | |
|
Other Final 416th BG Combat Mission |
Plattling, Germany | 26 April 1945 | Flew 43 combat missions |
|
Died |
Pink Hill, North Carolina | 14 March 2014 | William Earl Brewer, Sr. (Billy) died March 15, 2014 at 5:00 PM. He was a veteran of World War II, UNC Tar Heel, CPA, Rotarian, Methodist, tobacconist, small business owner, and--above all--a dedicated family man. Born on October 21, 1921, to W. Earl Brewer and Sophia Knott Brewer in Kinston, North Carolina, Billy grew up in Kinston under the watchful eyes of his mother and four Knott uncles: George, Thomas, Alan, and Henry. He graduated from Grainger High School in 1937 and his first job was with the family business, Knott Brothers Warehouse in Kinston, then with Branch Banking and Trust Company in Trenton, NC. Upon the United States' entry into World War II, Billy enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He served as a bombardier/navigator with the 416th Bomb Group of the 9th Army Air Force in the European Theater. Between August 1944 and V-E Day, he flew missions over France, Belgium, and Germany. Billy enrolled in UNC's School of Business on the GI Bill in 1946, graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in accounting in 1950, and earned his CPA license. While attending UNC, Billy and his cousins, Graham and George Knott, continued the family tradition of owning and operating a tobacco warehouse with the establishment of Knotts New Warehouse in Kinston. Billy and Graham operated the business as partners until Graham's death, and Billy continued to operate the business with Graham's son, Graham Knott, Jr., until Billy's retirement in 1986. He also worked with Kinston CPA, Simon Sitterson, during tax seasons for over thirty years. In 1947, Billy married Kinston native Mary Marsh Hood (Marsha), a pharmacist who graduated from UNC's School of Pharmacy. In 1950, they saw the need for a drug store in Pink Hill, in Lenoir County, and moved there with their twin daughters, Bobbie and Betty, to establish Brewer Drug Company. Billy and Marsha made their lives and raised their family in Pink Hill, having three more children, Billy, Jr., Carolyn and Johnny, and operated their drug store until 1976. Throughout their 66 year marriage, Billy and Marsha have been leaders in the business, social, professional, and civic life of Pink Hill and Lenoir County. Billy's service specifically included the following: Pink Hill School Board, Lenoir County Commissioner (1964 to 1980), Board of Trustees of Lenoir Memorial Hospital, Neuse River Council of Governments, Lenoir County ABC Board, and many roles at Pink Hill United Methodist Church. |
|
Buried |
Pink Hill, North Carolina | 17 March 2014 | Oak Ridge Memorial Park Duplin County, North Carolina, USA |
|
Other Graduated |
Chapel Hill, North Carolina | University of North Carolina |
