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Contact Info
Home Town Chicago, Illinois
Last Address El Cajon, California
Date of Passing Aug 14, 1998
Location of Interment Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (VA) - San Diego, California
Wall/Plot Coordinates Section CBD, Row 1, Site 463
He was the pilot of the 15th B-25 to take off from the USS Hornet on the Doolittle Raid. He later flew missions in North Africa and was shot down and made a POW.
His DFC citation: Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant (Air Corps) Griffith Paul Williams (ASN: 0-421336), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement as Co-Pilot of a B-25 Bomber of the 1st Special Aviation Project (Doolittle Raider Force), while participating in a highly destructive raid on the Japanese mainland on 18 April 1942. Lieutenant Williams with 79 other officers and enlisted men volunteered for this mission knowing full well that the chances of survival were extremely remote, and executed his part in it with great skill and daring. This achievement reflects high credit on himself and the military service.
Crew No. 15 (Plane #40-2267, "TNT", target Nagoya): 89th Recon Sq. L-R: Lt. Howard A. Sessler, navigator/bombardier; Lt. Donald G. Smith, pilot; Lt. Thomas R. White, flight surgeon/gunner; Lt. Griffith P. Williams, copilot; Sgt. Edward J. Saylor, flight engineer/gunner. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model Martin B-26 Marauder Length 58.23 ft | 17.75 m Width 64.99 ft | 19.81 m Height 19.82 ft | 6.04 m Engine(s) 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-41 Double-Wasp air-cooled radial-piston engines generating 2,000hp each. Empty Weight 22,381 lbs | 10,152 kg MTOW 34,200 lbs | 15,513 kg Max Speed 282 mph | 454 km/h | 245 kts Max Range 675 miles | 1,086 km Ceiling 23,507 ft | 7,165 m | 4.5 miles Climb Rate 1,250 ft/min (381 m/min) Hardpoints 1 Armament 1 x 7.7mm machine gun OR 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in nose. 1 x 7.7mm machine gun in ventral position OR 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in side fuselage position. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in dorsal turret 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in tail position
Internal Bombload Capacity of up to 5,200lbs (2,359kg). Accommodations 7 Operators France (Free French Air Force), South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
