WWII veteran shares his story

Wednesday is Veterans Day, and as a military city El Paso has no shortage. ABC-7 spoke with one World War Two vet who shared his story of loss, strength, and courage.

William Gottfried was born in 1923. He turned 18 just a few years into the Second World War. Like many boys his age, Gottfried wanted to help in the war, and joined the effort after graduating.

“I went to work in defense for a while, and ten months later I enrolled in the Army Air Corps,” Gottfried said.

Originally a mechanic, it wasn’t long before he was in the air and completing major missions.

“I wound up flying on B-29s Superfortress that bombed Japan, that was the plane that dropped the atomic bomb. I completed 41 combat missions over the mainland of Japan,” he explained.

41 missions defending his plane as a gunner, but not all of them went smoothly.

“I was wounded in Tokyo on a night mission. I was hit with flying shrapnel,” he told ABC-7.

Gottfried was only injured, but lost his best friend that day, whose plane was shot down. But that wouldn’t be the only loss he experienced during the war. He says it wasn’t easy.

“In my outfit we lost 3,200 men. Crews, you know. There were 11 men to a crew…But you know, you never thought it was going to be your time. But sometimes, you know, you see things,” Gottfried said.

Three years after enlisting he was finally sent home.

“They sent us ship by ship to Hawaii…The day we hit Hawaii was the day the war ended,” he expressed.

After the war Gottfried’s service was recognized with medals and ribbons. Married, widowed, and married again, he says he’s lived a happy life.

Gottfried now has eleven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and is turning 93 next year.