Wilbur "Bill" Earl Sommers

Wilbur Earl Sommers was born on August 23, 1918, in Spokane, Washington. His parents Wilbur Earl Sommers Sr. and Byrd had him baptized at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Mission in 1923. By age ten, Wilbur began going by “Bill,” while his father started going by “W. Earl” to differentiate themselves. Bill attended Washington State College between 1938 and 1941 where he was an active member of campus and involved in many groups and clubs. Bill was a member of the ROTC and graduates with a commission into the US Army Quartermaster's Corps. He transferred to the Air Corps in 1942 and served as a test pilot until his death in 1944. He died in a place crash in Pompeii, Italy.