William Greeno Fena was born December 7, 1916 in Wilpen, St. Louis County Minnesota. His parents were Andrew and Anna Ridolfi Fena, they were both born in Italy. His mother died in 1949 and his father remarried. His father drowned in 1963 while visiting family in Minnesota after moving to California. William had three brothers Arthur, Angelo and Fred and two sisters Rose and Mary.

He had enlisted in the Army Air Forces and served during World War II. He had the rank of Second Lieutenant. Occupation was Bombardier. Service number was O-679487. Served with 448th Bomber Group, Heavy, 715th Bomber Squadron.

Fena was reported missing and ultimately declared dead on March 8, 1944. He was on the crew of the B-24J Liberator #42-100122 "Twin Tails" during a mission to Berlin, Germany. On the return trip they ran out of gas and ditched in the English Channel, east of Great Yarmouth. Only two of the crew survived.

William G Fena is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.

COMMENDATIONS

Air Medal

Purple Heart

INCIDENT

8 casualties related to the #42-100122 incident on March 8, 1944.

Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-100122:

Allen, Geroe C ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, Florida

Bramhall, Aaron R ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, New York

Daley, John ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, Massachusetts

Fena, William G ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, Minnesota

Fiego, Nicholas A ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, Pennsylvania

Spadafore, Albert N ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, Massachusetts

Taylor, Carl E ~ S/Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, Utah

Totman, Edward F ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, Ohio

Airmen who survived from B-24J #42-100122:

Hood, James H ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, Kansas

Nugent, James T, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, New Jersey

( Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project _https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.