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STAFF
SERGEANT WILLIAM J. UHLER was born on February 28, 1921 in Williamstown, Dauphin County,
Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on October 3, 1939. When the
Census was taken in 1940 he was receiving training at the Holabird Quartermaster
Depot in Baltimore, Maryland. He became a mechanic, and was assigned to the 426th Bomb
Squadron, and was
stationed at the Columbia Army Air Base, in Columbia, South Carolina. He attained the rank
of Staff Sergeant.
Staff Sergeant Uhler married while in the Army.
The
426th Bombardment Squadron was established as a B-25 Mitchell medium bombardment squadron in
early
1942. Originally constituted as the 37th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) on
January 28 of that year, the unit was activated on March 15, 1942,
and was re-designated as the 426th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on April
22, 1942. The 426th was assigned to Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina as first an
Operational Training Unit (OTU) for newly formed squadrons, then in 1943
became a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for pilots and aircrew on the B-25 prior to the
personnel being assigned overseas to combat units.
The 426th Bombardment Squadron was disbanded on May 1, 1944 with the phaseout of B-25
training.
One
can safely assume that Staff Sergeant Uhler received orders as to where
he was to report to next, and that possibly these orders may have
influenced the events that would shortly follow.
After being arrested for a traffic violation on Saturday, May 13, 1944
Staff Sergeant William J. Uhler was committed to the Orangeburg County
Jail in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He committed suicide in his
cell that evening. in Orangeburg, Orangeburg County,
At
some point during his time in the Army, possibly through his marriage,
Staff Sergeant Uhler established ties to Camden County, New Jersey.
After his death, his body was returned to the place of his birth and he
was buried in in Fairview Cemetery, Williamstown, Pennsylvania. |
