REMEMBERING BILL SILER

Bill Siler was my friend. Our friendship resulted because both of us were involved in a common cause more than 70 years ago. We were both assigned to the same military unit, same squadron and our service with that organization overlapped; however, it was nearly 50 years later at a meeting of the Old Timers that we met and our friendship blossomed.

Bill was a little senior in age to many of us and in the early 1940’s, as the war clouds began to loom, decided to go north and enlist his service with the Royal Canadian Air Force. To my knowledge he is the only person assigned to the 457th that served in the RCAF. After our entry in the conflict Bill came back and ultimately was assigned to the 457th.

After he finished his tour he volunteered to fly with a reconnaissance group and stayed in England flying reconnaissance missions. His service did not end with the conclusion of WWII. He saw service in the Korean conflict and later in Vietnam and in between flew the Berlin Air Lift. Unknown to many was his role in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Bill held a top security clearance and at the height of the crisis was holed up in a windowless room at a undisclosed military installation

From and after our first meeting we maintained an ongoing contact. Bill continued at an energetic pace almost to the end. My son, David and I had Sunday Dinner with Bill in August and he was upbeat as usual. I asked him if he planned to go to England next year. His answer was “If I feel as good then as I do now”.

After he returned to Morro Bay I had a final email from him which indicated he had just about finished his tour.
Happy Trails and Blue Skies Bill!