William mattison

William Theodius Mattison (1916 – 1951)

An Original Tuskegee Airman, William Theodius “Bill” Mattison was one of eight Arkansans who earned a place among the first group of black Americans who formed the Tuskegee Airmen, a segregated unit of pilots who fought in Europe during World War II.

Mattison was born October 16, 1916 in Conway, Arkansas. He was schooled at the Pine Street School in Conway and attended Arkansas A&M (now the University of Arkansas at Monticello) and Howard University in Washington, D.C. becoming a rural school teacher before his military service.

Mattison graduated from Tuskegee’s flight program on October 9, 1942 as a second lieutenant. He served as operations officer and a member of the famed 100th Squadron in Italy. Mattison also served as the commanding officer of the 302nd Squadron from October 13, 1942 to March 29, 1943. These units were part of the 332nd Fighter Squadron (Red Tails).

On September 8, 1944, Capt. William Mattison led fort-two P-51 Mustangs of the 332nd Fighter Group to attack the Luftwaffe airfield at Ilandza in Yugoslavia. About twenty planes were spotted on the ground, and twenty-three of the Mustangs dropped down to the deck to strafe them, covered by fourteen others. The attack destroyed eighteen aircraft, The group then continued to the airfield at Alibunar, where fifteen P-51s attacked parked aircraft while twenty-six fighters flew top cover in expectation that the now-alerted Luftwaffe would respond. Instead, the group eliminated fifteen Fw 190s, two Bf 109s, and an SM.84 transport in the face of moderate flak. For good measure, the group also destroyed a locomotive on the way home. For this action, Mattison was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In addition to the DFC, Mattison was awarded two Bronze Stars and six Air Medals for campaigns in Rome, Arno, southern France, the Rhineland, the Balkans, northern France, the northern Apennines and the Po Valley.

Major Mattison was tragically killed piloting a U.S. Air Force C-45F “Expeditor” in a weather related crash near Oak Harbor, Ohio on January 28, 1951 along with his co-pilot and three other Air Force personnel while en route to Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C. where he was assigned to the 1101 Air Material Squadron where his assigned duty was serving as a professor and the head of the Department of Air Science and Tactics at Howard University. He is interred at the Arlington National Cemetery.