William J. Fili

As was said so many times in the past one hundred years, "Never in the history of mankind have so many owed so much to so few."

In his own way Bill Fili is honoring the many men and women who unselfishly gave so much in time and effort—and even their very lives—to pave the way for so many of us present-day aviation enthusiasts to enjoy the greatest thrill ever devised by mankind: the thrill of flying—to leave the protective arms and bosom of mother earth, to soar above the realm of the birds and maybe reach out to touch the hands of our God.

A few days after the Pearl Harbor tragedy Bill, at eighteen years old, enlisted in the Army Air Corps and began his training as an airplane mechanic-gunner that destined him to be a flight engineer on a B-24 Liberator Bomber. He flew 34 combat missions in those fiery skies over Europe before being shot down over the Ploesti oil refineries in Romania. Suddenly he found himself in a prisoner of war camp and experienced what it was like to be on the receiving end of falling and exploding bombs. Bill survived—unlike the 79,260 young American kids who did now survive those fiery European skies, with some falling from four miles high in the heavens when their bomber was blown apart.

After the war Bill stayed in the Air Force Reserves, and was recalled during the Korean War as a flight engineer on a Boeing C-97 Stratocruiser and aerial tanker. Two wars were enough for one man. Upon discharge he became a commercial pilot and flight instructor. He founded a manufacturing business, Filcon Corporation, and after twenty-five years he sold it and went into semi-retirement. Bored with idleness, he kept busy for the next sixteen years driving a school bus.

Arriving at his eightieth birthday, he decided it was time to do things for himself. He soloed in a brand new Skyhawk 172 and became an instant UFO, an acronym for "United Flying Octogenarian". His life's final chapter is in his book and video titled "Passage to Valhalla II", as well as in his public speaking. He writes and speaks of the profound heroism of the awesome sacrifices made by America's kids—individuals who voluntarily gave their lives to save their fellow aviators so they could survive the shambles of war. These men are the real heroes who protected and gave us our freedom as we know it today. Bill is available for speaking engagements anywhere, anytime.