William Graham MacKichan was born on October 1, 1920, the son of George & Elizabeth MacKichan in Ingham County, MI. He had one sister Margaret. He was married to Evelyn G Pierson MacKichan . His mother Elizabeth died 19 Feb 1941 after a lingering illness.

William G MacKichan was an East Lansing high school athlete and ROTC student at Michigan State College. He was transferred to the US Army Air Force in 1943 from Fort Riley, Kanas, where he had served in the cavalry since graduating from State in 1942.

He had enlisted in the Army Air Forces. Served during World War II. He had the rank of Second Lieutenant. Occupation or specialty was Pilot. Service number was O-468423. Served with 384th Bomber Group, Heavy, 547th Bomber Squadron.

MacKichan lost his life on April 24, 1944. He was the pilot on the crew of the B-17G #42-38158 "Jean" during a mission to bomb the Dornier aircraft factory at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. They received a direct hit in the cockpit and exploded mid air, crashing near Leustetten, 11 miles south-west of Munich, Germany.

8 casualties related to the #42-38158 incident on April 24, 1944.

Pilot: 2nd Lt. William Graham MacKichan, MI FOLD3 .

Co-Pilot: 2nd Lt. William James Hautz , OH. FOLD3

Navigator: 1st Lt. Neil Emerson Walling, MI. FOLD3

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. John D. Lynch, Jr., IN. FOLD3

Top Turret: T/Sgt. Elroy Andrew Altendorf , WI FOLD3

Ball Turret: S/Sgt. John S. Cox, IN FOLD3.

Tail Gunner: T/Sgt. John Paul Pastorella , CT. FOLD3

Right Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. Kermit Iver Olstad , MN FOLD3

Bailed Out and survived:

Radio Operator: S/Sgt. Kenneth D. Gray, ID -39831267 POW at Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikindorf near Krems Austria FOLD3

Left Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. Claus Norman Gustafson -12129322 POW at Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikindorf near Krems Austria FOLD3

William Graham MacKichan is buried or memorialized at Plot K Row 19 Grave 28, Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.

COMMENDATIONS

★ Air Medal ★ Purple Heart

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (seehttps://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.