William T. J. Foster was born on August 4, 1919, in Salem, Marion County, Oregon. He was the son of William Frank Foster and Vivian Alice McCurdy Foster. He was married to Mary Ann Agalzov Foster. He served in the 344th Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot of B-24 #42-73416 during World War II.

On May 29, 1944, the aircraft participated in a bombing raid over Wiener Neustadt, Austria, a key center for German military aircraft production during World War II. While carrying out the mission, the B-24 came under enemy attack and was shot down over Austrian territory. It eventually crashed near the town of Fischbach, located in the state of Styria (Steiermark). Four crew members lost their lives in the crash, while the others survived and were taken prisoner by German forces.

2Lt Foster was captured and held as a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft III in Sagan-Silesia, Bavaria. Following the war, he became a self-employed manufacturer of metal products, a career he pursued for 50 years. He ended his military service as a Captain. He died on July 13, 2004, and is now buried in the Deschutes Memorial Gardens, Bend, Deschutes County, Oregon, USA.

Source of information: mail.aviation-safety.net, aad.archives.gov, www.findagrave.com