History of the Winneshiek's:
William S. Winneshiek






William Sherwood Winneshiek

My father was William Sherwood Winneshiek.

William Sherwood Winneshiek, a career United States Air Force officer, retired as a Full-Colonel. Following the outbreak of WWII, he became an aviation cadet, graduated as a Second Lieutenant, and then was transferred to Sebring, FL to fly B-17s. He was assigned to the 94th Bomb Group, 333rd Squadron and was Commander of the 410th Squadron, Bury St. Edmonds, England, August-September 1945. He completed forty-two successful missions from England to Germany.

William Sherwood Winneshiek was a member of a small group of men appropriately named “The Lucky Bastard Club,” named as such for those pilots who completed twenty-five or more missions from England to Germany. William commented about his B-17 time: "That's where I learned to fly...it was tough. We flew out of England against Germany." He remembered being afraid for his life all the time.

After the war William Sherwood Winneshiek functioned as an Attache' at the American Embassy in London, England; Air Inspector in Sebring, FL; a Liaison Officer, with the Army, at Fort McPherson, GA. He was selected by the Air Force Director of Communications to be one of 6 officer pilots to train as Communicators and spent 3 years training at the Pentagon. He was assigned to Communications School at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois; an Assistant Air Attaché in London, England from 1950-1953. He was an Operations Officer (Communications) with the 2045th AACS Group, Andrews AFB, MD; a student, then faculty member, at the Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, AL; a Communications Officer with the 7217th Air Division in Ankara, Turkey. William Sherwood Winneshiek retired in 1971, in Colorado Springs as Director of Communications at NORAD.

He was a member of Retired Officers' Association, Disabled American Veterans, Space Coast Mensa, and a Red Cross volunteer.

William Sherwood Winneshiek's father was William Phineus Winneshiek (NahiSonwahika) who is Nellie Red Cloud's brother. His mother was Marie Marguerite Zerbe, an elementary school teacher. William Sherwood’s grandfather was John Winneshiek, "the true chief of the Winnebago tribe." (William Phineus “attended” Carlisle Indian School and played football with Jim Thorpe. William Phineus and Thorpe played on the only “All-Indian” NFL team, the Oorang Indians from LaRue, OH.)

William Sherwood Winneshiek attended grade school through high school in Lebanon, PA. He attended the University of Cincinnati, majoring in Mechanical Engineering, but finances (the lack thereof) forced him to transfer to the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute in Reading, PA.


William Sherwood Winneshiek Lebanon High School



94th Bomb Group Insignia


94th Bomb Group | American Air Museum in Britain



William Sherwood Winneshiek 94th Bomb Group



The Lucky Bastard Club
94th Bomb Group original poster.
Unfortunately a "relative" FOLDED it versus
displaying it appropriately; OR donating to the
Smithsonian Museum for American Indians;
OR to the USAF.




William S. Winneshiek's signature on the
Lucky Bastard 94th Bomb Group poster.
25th Mission completed on
October 18, 1943.
William S. Winneshiek was piloting
"The Bouncing Bitch III."



The Lucky Bastard Club 94th Bomb
Group original poster on base.




Awards and Joint Chiefs of Staff



   





  









Twenty-Six (26) Missions, but #26 was scrubbed!
Second Tour completing 17 missions! (See below)



Combat Formation Leadership Certificate awarded
for completing 17 missions on his SECOND TOUR.
William S. Winneshiek already completed the
minimum required 25 missions on October 18, 1943
piloting The Bouncing Bitch III.


94th Bomb Group
333rd Bomb Squadron Operations Room





94th Bomb Group
333rd Bomb Squadron Operations Room



94th Bomb Group Reading Room



94th Bomb Group Briefing Room


94th Bomb Group Headquarters



94th Bomb Group Dump



94th Bomb Group Bomb Dump



94th Bomb Group Bomb Dump



94th Bomb Group Control Tower



94th Bomb Group Control Tower Today



94th Bomb Group Football at Rougham. Go Dad!



Glenn Miller puts on a show for 94th Bomb Group!



Bob Hope puts on a show for 94th Bomb Group!



Double Trouble



Double Trouble
Bremen Mission June 25, 1943
German Messerschmitt's shot out two of four
engines on Double Trouble.

William S. Winneshiek returned to England
across the English Channel and CRASH LANDED
WITH ONLY TWO OF FOUR ENGINES AND WITH A
FULL BOMB LOAD.

St-Dizier, France Mission October 4, 1943
German Messerschmitt's shot out
Number 3 Engine on Double Trouble.
ONCE AGAIN William S. Winneshiek
piloted B-17 Double Trouble back across the English
Channel and crash landed in Margate, England.
One of two Side Gunners, Vance Van Hooser,
was on his 23rd Mission, and seriously injured
in the head by 20mm shells.



Double Trouble
St-Dizier Raid
No. 3 engine shot out.
Crash landing.




Double Trouble
St-Dizier Raid
No. 3 engine shot out.
Crash landing.



Double Trouble
St-Dizier Raid
No. 3 engine shot out.
Crash landing.



Double Trouble
St-Dizier Raid
No. 3 engine shot out.
Crash landing.



Double Trouble
St-Dizier Raid
No. 3 engine shot out.
Crash landing.



Double Trouble
St-Dizier Raid
No. 3 engine shot out.
Smoke.



Double Trouble
St-Dizier Raid
No. 3 engine shot out.
Crash landing.



Double Trouble
St-Dizier Raid
No. 3 engine shot out.
Crash landing.



Double Trouble
St-Dizier Raid
No. 3 engine shot out.
Crash landing.



Double Trouble being cool!
(Before the crash landing.)



"Bouncing Bitch," another B-17 Dad piloted.



"Bouncing Bitch," another B-17 Dad piloted.



"Southern Belle," another B-17 Dad piloted.



Authorized by Squadron Commander
Captain William S. Winneshiek (acting Captain)



Someone else in the 94th Bomb
Group landing at Rougham.



Invitation from King George for
Feb 22, 1951 9:30pm. Party!
Dad was an Attache' at
American Embassy in London.



Invitation from King George
for July 19, 1951 4:00pm.
My 1 Year Old Birthday Party with King George!
Born July 19, 1950 in Frankfurt, Germany
I wore a "lounge suit."

William S. Winneshiek died in 1995. My mother Marjorie died in 2004.

Out of the blue I received an email from S/Sgt Robert Peterson (USAF retired), a volunteer with "Wreaths Across America" at Arlington, VA. After being briefed, the group dispersed and began placing wreaths on all sites at Arlington National Cemetary. Since Robert was Air Force, he sought out an Air Force site, which turned out to be my Father's site. Below is the photograph of Robert placing the wreath. Very thoughtful and thank you so much Robert!











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