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Contact Info
Home Town Middletown, Kentucky
Last Address San Antonio, Texas
Date of Passing Feb 01, 2001
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
William J. Meng was born at North Middletown, Ky., in 1917. He attended High School in North Middletown where he graduated in 1935. He entered Transylvania College in 1935 and completed three years majoring in economics. He participated in the University of Maryland off-duty education program while on active duty in the Washington, D.C. area.
In November 1939 he entered the U. S. Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. He completed flying training in August 1940 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Corps Reserve Aug. 30, 1940.
After flying training his first assignment was the Panama Canal Zone where he served as an A-20 pilot and squadron engineering officer.
Captain Meng's next assignment was Lake Charles, La., as an A-20 squadron commander.
In January 1944 he was transferred to the European Theater of Operations where he served as an A-20 squadron commander, deputy group commander of an A-26 group and later as air inspector of the 9th Bomber Command. While leading the A-20 group on the late D-Day mission over France he received wounds from 88 mm flack.
During his tour in the European Theater of Operations, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters and the Purple Heart. Returning to the Zone of Interior after World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Meng was assigned duty as the air inspector, 311th Reconnaissance Wing at Buckley Field, Colo.
His next assignment was commander of the 7th Geodetic Survey Squadron. The mission of this squadron was geodetic survey using SHORAN equipment. To perform this mission the squadron was assigned B-29s, B-17s, OA-10s, C-47s and helicopters.
From July 1948 to December 1949 he attended the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
After Command and Staff School, January 1950 to January 1951, Lieutenant Colonel Meng assumed the duties of inspector general, 2nd Air Force.
In January 1951, Lieutenant Colonel Meng was assigned to the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. The wing was equipped with RB-45, and the first multi-jet unit in the Strategic Air Command. He was deputy for operations and materiel during this assignment. He was promoted to the grade of full colonel, effective Jan. 19, 1951.
The next assignment was as deputy wing commander, 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Lockbourne, Ohio.
From Lockbourne, Colonel Meng transferred to Sidi Slimane Air Station, Morocco as director of operations for the 5th Air Division.
He returned from Sidi Slimane back to Lockbourne Air Force Base as commander, 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing.
During his tenure as commander, 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, he commanded "Home Run Task Force" at Thule Air Base, Greenland.
Director of personnel for 8th Air Force was the next assignment for Colonel Meng. While with 8th Air Force, Colonel Meng was selected to attend the National War College in Washington, D.C.
After graduation, Colonel Meng was assigned the Strategic Division, Directorate of Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. After 10 months in this duty he was selected as executive to the vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
In June 1963, Colonel Meng assumed the duties of vice commander, U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Reconnaissance Center at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.
On Oct. 9, 1963 he was promoted to the grade of brigadier general.
General Meng flew 250 missions of anti-submarine patrol and amassed 800 combat flying hours in the Caribbean Theater. He flew 50 combat missions for a total of 170 combat hours in the European Theater of Operations.
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model Douglas A-26B Invader Length 50.00 ft | 15.24 m Width 70.01 ft | 21.34 m Height 18.50 ft | 5.64 m Engine(s) 2 x 2,000 hp (1,492 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 Air-Cooled Radial Piston Engines. Empty Weight 22,370 lbs | 10,147 kg MTOW 35,001 lbs | 15,876 kg Max Speed 355 mph | 572 km/h | 309 kts Max Range 1,401 miles | 2,255 km Ceiling 22,096 ft | 6,735 m | 4.2 miles Climb Rate 1,250 ft/min (381 m/min) Hardpoints 0 Armament 6 x 12.7mm machine guns in forward-fixed nose assembly (removed in A-26C in place of Bombardier position). 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in locked forward-facing turret.
Up to 4,000lbs of internal ordnance.
Additional: 4 x dual 12.7mm machine gun "packs" underwing (two-guns per pack for a total of eight possible underwing gun positions).
Additional air-to-surface 5-inch rockets as necessitated by mission-specific parameters. Accommodations 3
Major Variants
* A-26B - Initial Production Model in service with European Theater. * A-26C - Pacific Theater Production Model with 6 x 12.7mm nose-mounted machine gun assembly removed for bombardier position.
Type Number built/ converted Remarks B-26K 40 Counter insurgency aircraft
Serial numbers: 64-17640 to 64-17679
SPECIFICATIONS: Span: 71 ft. 6 in. Length: 51 ft. 7 in. Height: 19 ft. Weight: 38,314 lbs. maximum Armament: Eight .50 cal. nose machine guns, eight wing pylons capable of carrying 8,000 lbs. of mixed ordnance and 4,000 lbs. of bombs internally Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-52Ws of 2,500 hp (maximum with water injection) Crew: Two Cost: $577,000
PERFORMANCE: Max. speed: 323 mph/281 knots Cruising speed: 310 mph/270 knots Range: 2,700 statute miles/2,346 nautical miles Service ceiling: 30,000 ft.
