Bill Staggs

William 'Bill' Staggs was a Captain in the United States Army Air Force who served as a fighter pilot during World War II. Born in Portland, Tennessee, he entered service in September 1942, trained in California, and was assigned to the 55th Fighter Group, 38th Squadron of the 8th Air Force in England in fall 1944, flying the P-51 Mustang. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for downing a Focke-Wulf 190 and a medal for extraordinary achievement in June 1945 for saving a fellow pilot's life.