William Charles Wixted was born on August 25, 1920 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Northeast High in 1938 and entered LaSalle College in Philadelphia in September 1941, majoring in chemistry. He left college to serve in the U.S. Army Air Force from 1942 to 1945 as a Top Turret Gunner of the B-24 Liberator 41-29371 “Crippled Bitch” that took off from Station 120 Attlebridge in Norfolk, UK on a mission to bomb the airfield at Bretigny-sur-Orge in France. The plane was hit by flak before it had released its bombs. The flaming plane was partially evacuated before it disintegrated in an in-flight explosion at 20,000 feet at around 7:30 pm. Wixted was taken as a POW to Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow. Bill and several comrades were liberated by the British Army at Zarrentin in northwest Germany.

Bill married Mary P. Hendrickson ('Hennie') of Philadelphia, a member of the Women's Army Corps, on February 2, 1946. He resumed his studies at LaSalle and graduated in 1948 with a B.S. in Chemistry. He worked for Rohm & Haas Company in the laboratory, sales and executive offices until his retirement in 1984. In July 1956 he moved his family to Kingston Estates in Cherry Hill, where he lived in the same house until his death. He was a parishioner and daily communicant at St. Peter Celestine Church from its inception.

Bill died on October 4, 2007 after a short illnes and is now buried in the Brig Gen Wm C Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Arneytown, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com