William W. Hoover, Jr. was born on January 29, 1920 in Bloomsburg, Columbia County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of William W. Hoover and Bernice P. Hoover. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania and received his grammar school education there. After he left school he worked in various construction/heavy equipment operator capacities. William enlisted in the United States Army on February 2, 1942 at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. After he completed his basic training, William was assigned to the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. He would soon deploy with the regiment and participate in the campaigns in North Africa and the invasion of Sicily. During these campaigns he was twice wounded. After Sicily was secured, William and the 18th Infantry departed to England for preparation of the invasion of the European Continent at Normandy, France. His regiment landed in the initial invasion landing on June 6, 1944; D-Day. He and his men cleared the beachhead, but he was soon killed in action, an action that earned him the Silver Star Medal and his third Purple Heart Medal. He is now buried in Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France and has a cenotaph in Elan Memorial Cemetery, Lime Ridge, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, USA.

William's Silver Star citation reads as follows:
William W. Hoover, Jr., 33137096, Sergeant, Company F, 18th Infantry. For gallantry in action in the vicinity of Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, 6 June 1944. When the squad he was leading from the beach to an assembly area was fired upon by an enemy machine gun and snipers, Sergeant Hoover, with utter disregard for his personal safety, gallantly exposed himself to better direct his BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) fire upon the enemy. His noble action, at the cost of his life, distracted the enemy and enabled his men to pass without casualties. GO No. 28, Hq 1st Inf Div, 5 July 1944.
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