Col. "Bill" William Eisenhart

COL William E. "Bill" Eisenhart of Sun City, Hilton Head, SC, born January 25, 1920, passed away peacefully at his home, with his wife and family with him on March 21, 2017, at the age of 97 years old. He is survived by his wife, Pamela "Penny" Gahr-Eisenhart, his four children, Diana Rae Strangio of Oracle, AZ: Linda Marie Eisenhart of Tucson, AZ; John Albert Eisenhart of Colorado Springs, CO and Mary Jane Cooper of Lancaster, CA and 11 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Mearle and Marie Eisenhart (nee Dugas); his brother, Mearle Eisenhart, Jr., and his wife of 61 years, Mary M. Eisenhart (nee Shore). Bill grew up in Akron, OH and attended North High School, graduating in 1938. He went to Kent State University; worked for Seiberling Rubber Company before the war broke out. He enlisted in March, 1942 and was sent to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, MO for basic training. After Basic Training, he went to Airplane Mechanics School at Chanute Field, Illinois. He was in the last phase of Airplane Mechanics, when he was selected for the Pilot Training program. He graduated as a Flight Officer in April, 1943. He then went onto B-17 training with Flight Officer Thomas J. Quinn's crew, and assigned to the 8th Air Force. This crew was sent to Molesworth, England, arriving in August, 1943. He was credited with a total of 43 Combat Missions as Co-Pilot, Pilot, Operations Officer and then Squadron Commander of the 359th Bomb Squadron. After the war, he returned to civilian life, settling in the Akron, OH area with his wife and daughter. He worked for the Seiberling Rubber company and then the Firestone Rubber Company. He was recalled to active duty in October, 1948. He served most of his long, impressive Air Force career in the Strategic Air Command, with a total of 25 consecutive years in the Strategic Air Command. He flew forty-three B-52 and KC-135 missions during 1971-72, out of U-Tapao, Thailand, during the Vietnam War. He was the Airborne Commander for two of the "Christmas War" (11 Day), Linebacker II missions; the 3rd and the 6th night missions. He retired as Base Commander from Rhein Maine Air base, near Frankfurt, Germany in October, 1976 and formally retired from the USAF, as a Colonel at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, FL in January, 1977. He served 32+ years active service and 3+ years as reserve, and is credited with a total of 35 years of military service. He recently received the French Legion of Honor Award. He continued to strongly support the military, particularly the Air Force and the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, in Savannah, GA. For more specific information about COL Bill Eisenhart's 85 missions, please see the 303rdbg.com/359eisenhart.html A 10 AM Gathering followed by 11 AM Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home, 7820 38th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33710. A 12:45 PM Committal Service and Military Honors Ceremony will follow at Bay Pines National Cemetery, 10000 Bay Pines Boulevard, Bay Pines, FL 33744. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in honor of COL Bill Eisenhart to either of these much loved organizations: Hospice Care of the Low Country, P. O. Box 3827 Bluffton, SC 29910, or The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, P. O. Box 1992 Savannah, GA 31402. Thank you for your loving support of this Extraordinary Man.