Bill Pattillo was born on June 3,
1924 in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Atlanta
Technical High School. In November of 1942 he enlisted
in the US Army Air Corps and completed the aviation
cadet program and upon receiving his wings, he was
commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1944.
During World War II, Pattillo flew
P-51 Mustangs with the 352nd Fighter Group in Europe.
He flew 135 combat missions and succeeded in shooting
down a German Me 262 jet fighter while engaged in a
dogfight. Bill was shot down after his 135th mission
while strafing an airfield and was captured by the
Germans. For his actions in combat, he was awarded
the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with
two oak leaf clusters.
At the end of World War II, Pattillo
enrolled in the Georgia School of Technology and flew
P-47 Thunderbolts with Georgia Air National Guard while
he was a student. He was recalled to active duty in
1948 and assigned as a jet pilot to the 31st Tactical
Fighter Wing at Turner AFB in Albany, Georgia. He was
soon back in Europe when his assignment changed again
and Pattillo found himself flying F-80s and F-84s in
German with the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing. While in
Europe, he helped create and was an original team member
of the USAFE/NATO aerial demonstration team, the "Skyblazers."
In 1952 he was assigned as a fighter
gunnery instructor at Pinecastle AFB, Florida. He transferred
to Luke AFB, Arizona in 1953 with his twin brother,
Charles "Buck" Pattillo. Together they were instrumental
in organizing and forming the "Thunderbirds," the first
US Air Force official aerial demonstration team. Bill
flew right wing and his brother, Buck, flew left wing
on the original team in 1953. After flying with the
Thunderbirds he was assigned as Commander of the 3603rd
Combat Training Squadron at Luke AFB where he trained
fighter pilots for the Korean War.
In 1959, Pattillo entered the University
of Colorado and graduated in January 1962 with a degree
in Mathematics. In February 1962 he was assigned to
the 4450th Standardization and Evaluation Group, Headquarters
Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia. In 1964
he attended the US Arm War College at Carlisle Barracks,
Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1965, and that same ear
he received a Masters Degree in International Affairs
at George Washington University, Washington D.C.
Pattillo transferred to Germany again
in 1965 where he served as Deputy Commander for Operations
with the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hahn AFB, flying
F-4 Phantoms. In February, 1967, he became Director
of Safety for the USAFE.
Bill transferred to Vietnam in 1968
where he served as Vice Commander for the 3rd Tactical
Fighter Wing at Bien Hoa AB, and shortly thereafter
assumed duties as Commander of the 31st TFW at Tuy
Hoa AB. During his tour in Vietnam he flew 236 combat
missions in the F-100 and was awarded the Silver Star,
Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, and the
Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters. Pattillo was then
assigned to NATO's Allied Forces Central Europe as
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Intelligence,
and Senior United States Representative. He was assigned
to the US Readiness Command, MacDill AFB, Florida as
Director of Plans and Policy (J-5) in 1977
General Pattillo retired as a Major
General in 1980 after 35 years of active service. He
is married to the former Joyce Matthews of Atlanta,
Georgia. They have four children and eight grandchildren.
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