• July 23, 1916 – Jan. 4, 1944
• Born in Anderson County, South Carolina
• Liberal Arts 1934-1937
• 410th Bomb Sqn, 94th Bomb Grp. B-17 Pilot. Killed when plane crashed into the North Sea, west of the island of Heligoland
  • Bombing Mission to Kiel, Germany
  • Aircraft malfunction with #2 propeller
• Buried at City View Cemetery in Union City, Tennessee 

William McKendree Hudgens (July 23, 1916 – Jan. 4, 1944) was born in Anderson County, South Carolina. He attended the University of Tennessee and graduated in the Class of 1937 for Liberal Arts. He lived in Union City, Tennessee before enlisting in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He served as a 1st Lieutenant and pilot flying B-17 bombers in the 410th Bomb Squadron, 94th Bomb Group. He was later promoted to captain when the 410th began flying missions out of England targeting the German mainland. He was killed in action on January 4, 1944  during one of these missions that targeted the naval facilities at Kiel, Germany. On their return, Cpt. Hudgens’s B-17 suffered a catastrophic malfunction on their #2 propeller near the island of Heligoland and crashed into the North Sea. He is memorialized at City View Cemetery in Union City, Tennessee.

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