William Harrell Nellis

William Harrell Nellis (March 8, 1916 – December 27, 1944) was a United States fighter pilot who flew 70 World War II combat missions. He was shot down three times, the last time fatally. On April 30, 1950, the Las Vegas Air Force Base in Nevada was renamed Nellis Air Force Base in his honor.

William Harrell Nellis
Nickname(s)	Billy
Born	(1916-03-08)March 8, 1916  Santa Rita, New Mexico, U.S.
Died	December 27, 1944(1944-12-27) (aged 28) Winseler, Luxembourg
Buried	Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial, Belgium
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army Air Forces
Years of service	1942–1944
Rank	First Lieutenant
Unit	513th Fighter Squadron
Battles/wars	World War II: European theater Battle of the Bulge
Awards	Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (2)
Alma mater	Las Vegas High School
Spouse(s)	Shirley (Fletcher) Nellis Genstel (1921–2004)
Children	1 son, 1 daughter

Soon after his birth in Santa Rita, New Mexico, Nellis and his parents Cecil and Marguerite, moved to Searchlight, Nevada, and, when he was 13, to Las Vegas. Nellis graduated from Las Vegas High School; he did not go to college, but subsequently joined the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps on December 9, 1942, training in Albany, Georgia. He was commissioned a flight officer on January 7, 1944.[1] and on July 9, Nellis was assigned to the 513th Fighter Squadron, in support of General George Patton's Third Army.

On December 27, 1944, flying a P-47 Thunderbolt during the Battle of the Bulge, he was shot down by ground fire while strafing a German convoy in Luxembourg. He was too low to bail out, and crashed near Winseler. Nellis' remains were recovered from his wrecked aircraft the following April. He was buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial near Liège, Belgium.[2][3]