[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 142 (Wednesday, September 30, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1397-E1398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING MAJOR WILLIAM ``BILL'' CONKLIN NOSKER

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. STEVE STIVERS

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 30, 2015

  Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Major 
William ``Bill'' Conklin Nosker. Bill was a member of the 1939 Ohio 
State Football Big Ten Championship team and a Major in the U.S. Army 
Air Corps during World War II.
  Bill was born in 1919 in Columbus, Ohio, and later moved to Upper 
Arlington. He was an active high school athlete, earning 14 varsity 
letters in four sports. He became one of the first athletes from Upper 
Arlington to play football at a major university and earned varsity 
letters three years at The Ohio State University. In 1940, Bill was 
named to the honorary All-Big Ten Team.

[[Page E1398]]

  Bill left one quarter before graduation at Ohio State in 1941, along 
with six other athletes, to serve his country in the Army Air Corps. 
Bill did obtain his degree a year later when he submitted a thesis 
paper to his professor. While in basic training, Bill was selected as 
the ``Typical Air Corps Cadet'' for a nationwide publicity recruiting 
campaign, but he was far from ``typical.''
  As part of the 449th Bombardment Group, Bill was sent overseas at the 
end of 1943. He was the original commanding officer of the 718th 
Squadron stationed in Italy and is credited with 35 total missions as a 
pilot or copilot. His missions spanned all over Europe, including 
Italy, Austria, France, Yugoslavia and Romania. In August of 1944, Bill 
died in a plane crash as part of an air support mission for the 
invasion of Southern France, also known as Operation Anvil. He was 
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, three Oak Leaf 
clusters, and the Bronze Star during his service.
  Bill was a true American hero and I am pleased to honor his service 
to our country during World War II. I wish his family all the best this 
year as they recognize the 70th anniversary of when he was set to 
return home from war.

                          ____________________