US Air Force Major General. He was a World War II and Vietnam War veteran, who rose in rank to become the commander of the 3rd Air Division and was the first of three US Air Force general officers killed during the Vietnam War. Born in New York City, New York, he joined the military in 1941 and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the US Army Air Force and received his pilot wings in 1942. His first assignment was with the 91st Bombardment Group in the European Theater of Operations as a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber pilot during World War II. Upon returning to the US, he lectured at thirty combat crew schools and every major aircraft factory as a member of the "Most Deserving Bomber Crew of the 8th Air Force." In May 1943 he was transferred to the 796th Bomb Squadron at Alexandria, Louisiana as Operations Officer, and later that year he moved to the staff of 2nd Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He then assumed command of the 61st Bombardment Squadron at Smoky Hill Army Air Field (later Schilling Air Force Base, closed in 1965) near Salina, Kansas where he successfully moved the squadron to the Island of Guam in the South Pacific Ocean. In 1946 he was assigned to Headquarters Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Bolling Field (now Bolling Air Force Base, a part of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling) District of Columbia as an assistant training officer in the Flying Training Division, later becoming the chief of the Bombardment Section and Training Section deputy and acting chief. In August 1947 he attended the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Following graduation in July 1948, he became commander of the 344th Bombardment Squadron at Spokane Air Force Base (now Fairchild Air Force Base) in Washington and the following January he assumed the duties as 98th Bombardment Group director of operations there. In 1950 he returned to SAC at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska as chief of the Special Projects Division, Director of Operations and in 1953 he moved to the Operational Plans Division within the Director of Operations at SAC. In October 1954, after attending the B-47 Advanced Flying School at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, he was assigned to March Air Force Base (now March Air Reserve Base), California, first as deputy commander of the 22nd Bombardment Wing, then as 15th Air Force director of operations. In September 1956 he was assigned to Thule Air Base, Greenland as the task force commander. In April 1957 he returned to March as commander of the 320th Bombardment Wing. In October 1958 he transferred to Headquarters US Air Force in Washington DC as chief of the Strategic Division under the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and in May 1960 he was assigned as chief of the Atomic Operations Division, J-3, Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington DC. Three months later he returned to SAC as the senior Air Force member to the newly organized staff, director, strategic target planning and in June 1962 he became that group's chief of operations. In July of 1965 he became commander of the 3rd Air Division, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. On July 7, 1967 the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft he was flying on a bombing mission in collided in mid-air with another B-52 bomber over the South China Sea. His body was never recovered and he was presumed dead on July 24, 1967 at the age of 47, having served for 26 continuous years in the US Army Air Force and the US Air Force. He is the highest ranking military member missing in action. Among his military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit (with one oak leaf cluster), the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Air Medals (with three oak leaf clusters), the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the World War II Victory Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. He was a rated command pilot. William Crumm has an additional cenotaph memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.