William Thomas Blackmon was born on 29 April 1920 in Florida. His mother, Myrtle, a native Floridian, was married to Roy David Blackmon from Georgia. By 1930, the couple relocated to Mobile, Alabama when William was ten years old.

For a time, they lived with William’s paternal grandparents. When William was 14 years old, his sister, Audrey was born. Roy managed a local laundry.

As a member of the Class of 1937 or 1938, William graduated from high school, entering the workforce as a salesperson at an automotive store.

At an unknown date and location, William married. William and his wife, Doris Blackmon, resided at 164 ½ South Broad Street in Mobile.

William enlisted in Montgomery, Alabama on 3 July 1940 with the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF.) During his military service, William advanced from his entry rank to Technical Sergeant.

T/Sergeant Blackmon was based in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. The base was designated for the 323rd Squadron Headquarters from 25 August 1942 to 30 April 1944. The Arkansas base served as both as basic flying school and pilot training school from 15 August 1942 to 1 September 1944.

Driving in the hours after midnight 11 March 1943, William was killed when his car struck a high-voltage utility line. The crash’s speed and intensity can only be guessed. However, William’s injuries from the crash were secondary those sustained from the utility wires’ 33,000 voltage.

At the time of his death, T/Sergeant Blackmon, 22, had served with the USAAF for two to three years. He was survived by Doris, his widow, his step-father, mother and sister. William Thomas Blackmon was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery, Havana, Florida.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This national effort of volunteers is writing the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen servicemen and women here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this work, a smart phone app will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen individual’s name and read his/her story.

References:

Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969.

Ancestryinstitutions.org. 1930 United States Federal Census.

Ancestryinstitutions.org. 1940 United States Federal Census.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas_World_War_II_Army_Airfields

U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current.

U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946.

William Thomas Blackmon

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