William Winston "Bill" Shank was born on August 15, 1919, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He was the son of Oliver DeWitt Shank and Margie Ruebush Shank.

William served in the 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, as a First Lieutenant and Fighter pilot. He was Killed in Action aboard his P-38H 42-66727, on November 13, 1943, when his aircraft was attacked by German fighters near Osteressen, Germany, while on a mission to escort B-17 bombers attacking at Bremen, Germany. A few of his remains were recovered by the Germans and buried in the cemetery of Essen. However, his name is listed on the Wall of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery.

After several years of searching for his crash site, combined with recent advances in identification technology using DNA, Lt. Shank's remains were positively identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). His remains have been returned to the United States and then buried next to his parents in Woodbine Cemetery in Harrisonburg with full military honors by Fort Belvoir Honor Guard.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.americanairmuseum.com