WILLIAM W. COMBOWVirginia's Most Decorated Hero Attached
is a photo of William W. Combow. His CLAIMED
awards include the DSC, Silver Star, and Soldier’s Medal, among
others. Mr.
Combow was originally listed by Al Gleim as
a DSC recipient, and then removed with a footnote in his books as being
an “erroneous report”. Mr. Combow was
also a member of the LOV, or was at least listed in the LOV site a few
years ago when both I and Nick McDowell brought it to their attention
that there is no record of Mr. Combow
receiving the DSC. They have since removed him. Was most likely the BOMBARDIER and certainly NOT the pilot on that Christmas Eve flight. He never went to any flight school before entering as he stated in an article. Reportedly entered or volunteered the service to get away from the responsibility marriage and unexpected fatherhood. William W. Combow entered the service at the age of 17 He has been married a total of 5 times |
Don't you think it's interesting that he has a lot of
his ribbons out of their correct order of precedence? Note also that
he wears an Air Force Commendation Medal between an Army of Occupation
Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. The AFCM didn't come out
until 1958; if he had been in the Service then, he would also have
been eligible for the AF Longevity Ribbon, which he does not show. In
addition, he wears a ribbon to the Meritorious Service Medal, which
came out in about 1969. If he wants to be a convincing phony he needs
to pay more attention to dates. Finally, he wears ribbons indicating
he was in all three operational theaters in WW II which, although
possible, is not likely.
Served in the Eagle Squadron but was decorated by Queen Elizabeth? What happened to King George the 6th, who was monarch during WW II? This guy is not only a fake, he's an ill-educated screwball as well!
Nick
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| http://www.bristolnews.com/index.shtml http://www.bristolnews.com/empire/MGBDCOVWBFC.html (article below archived at) Nov 9, 2000 - 12:54 AM 'My heroes are those that never came back' By JOE TENNIS Bristol Herald Courier 'My heroes are those that never came back' He didn't have to go. But this was war. And Bill Combow knew he had to fly high to serve his country... BELFAST MILLS It was the middle of World War II sometime during 1943, Bill Combow remembered. Today, the exact dates of his living nightmare are starting to escape this Russell County native. After all, it's been more than 55 years since Combow came home from Germany as a former prisoner of war. Yet while the dates fade, so do some of the memories - the harsh ones. The ones that still bring tears to the eyes of this decorated veteran. But Combow has not forgotten all. His emotions still crack when he tells what it felt like to be blindfolded, tied to a cross and set in front of a firing squad. He still cries "Why?" when he remembers all the death and destruction around him. BORN ON CHRISTMAS EVE 1924, Combow grew up in the Belfast Mills community, a place he calls home, these days, in his retirement. He joined the military right after graduating high school in Lebanon. Combow wanted to fly. He joined the U.S. Army. He trained in Florida and Colorado. Then he flew with the Royal Air Force of England and, later, "finished my missions in the Army Air Corps." After that came the volunteer mission - Bill Combow's ticket to hell. Combow volunteered, along with 11 other pilots, to strafe and bomb one of the Germans' oil distribution points. The place was secret - and camouflaged, Combow said. Each building had a chimney. Shades were pulled down on the windows. A red cross on the building made it look like a hospital. And, nearby, about 300 children playing in a field gave the place the appearance of a school. "They wanted us to believe it was a convalescent hospital," Combow figured. Combow and other 11 pilots began bombing the place. But in the course of that volunteer mission, Combow's plane was shot down. He drifted for about 30 miles. Bailing out in a parachute, he "landed in a fairly open field," he said. Combow spent the next four days living beneath an abandoned building. But, soon, the pain of his injuries was more than he could stand. Combow sought help: "I saw a fellow with a horse and plow in a field," he said. "I whistled at him. I didn't know if he was German or not." Turned out the man was French. He gave Combow a place to stay at his barn. But only for one night. The next day, a member of the German Gestapo took Combow prisoner. The Frenchman had turned in Combow - "for a loaf of bread," Combow said, his voice choking. "He traded my life for a loaf of bread." COMBOW WAS SOON SENTENCED to a prisoner of war camp. He spent 30 days in a tiny cell measuring 48 square feet. He slept on a concrete floor. And he survived on virtually nothing - a gallon-and-a-half of water each day, a medium-size potato and maybe a slice of bread. Here and there, the Germans questioned him. They wanted to know how he and the other American pilots knew about the secret oil distribution center that they had bombed. But Combow wouldn't talk. Name, rank, serial number - that's all he would tell them. Members of the German Red Cross came to visit. They tried to persuade Combow that it would be in his "best interest" to explain himself, he said. But Combow still wouldn't talk. At the end of those 30 days, Combow was told that his time was up. The Germans charged Combow as a spy and announced he would be executed the following morning at 7 a.m. The young man from Russell County settled in for a long night. Combow dreamt of his lost life at home - his young wife and their infant daughter. And, over and over that night, Combow reread the words that a former prisoner had scrawled on one of his cell walls: I will never leave thee. I will never forsake thee. I will be with thee always. Tears crept to Combow's eyes. To this day, more than half a century later, the memories on those Biblically-influenced promises continue to shake this man's emotions. Combow fought to retain a steadiness in his voice as he said: "That was kind of my solace through this whole ordeal." THE MORNING OF THE EXECUTION arrived. "At 6:50 a.m., two guards came and got me," Combow remembered. He walked out of his cell. But the words on the wall - the promises of God - still flooded his mind. "I just said a prayer," he remembered. "And I said, 'God, if this is it, so let it be.' " Combow was taken to a field. He became one of seven men tied to a cross. The Germans slipped a hood over his head. And they pinned a round yellow dish -- a target -- on his heart. The execution was in motion. "But when they fired, I felt nothing," he said. "Nothing at all." The soldier thought he had died. "And I thought, `If this is death, how easy it is.' " But then Combow's hood was removed. He looked around. Combow and another man were saved from the shooting. But five of the other men were slouched over from the crosses - bleeding profusely, ripped apart by bullets, destroyed in the name and game of war. "They killed them to scare us," Combow said. Combow and the other man, he said, were "not even shot at ... You wonder: `What the hell is going on?' " BUT THAT JUST SEEMED to be the beginning of what the Germans wanted to do with Combow's life. Over a period of the next several weeks, Combow was sent from camp to camp. Once, he and several other prisoners were sardined into a railroad car: "We were so cramped that if a man sat up, two men would have to stand up." The war progressed. And Combow kept getting moved. Eventually, he and a group of 283 fellow prisoners were ordered to march - right across the country - on Feb. 1, 1945. The walk was endless and painful. And, in the end, quite senseless. Some men lost their senses during the course of it. This march - 750 miles, in all - required sleeping outside in snowy weather. It meant no change of clothes. No baths. And, for the first two weeks, not a drop of food. Frostbite destroyed the prisoners' legs. Five men, after 30 days, could no longer walk, Combow said. "They were out of their minds." The delirious soldiers began calling for their mothers. They began to babble about their homes in America. Combow, who had been elected the commander of this group by his fellow prisoners, figured he had to do everything he could to help. He and the others carried the delirious ones. For weeks. THE TIDE CHANGED at the face of the Baltic Sea. The German officers and high-ranking officials with this marching entourage boarded a boat. They set sail and left their prisoners, including Combow, on land. Ironically, however, the Germans' boat was bombed by a Russian submarine. And everyone on board, except one man, was killed, Combow said. At that point, while left stranded on the Baltic shoreline, the prisoners and the 17 German guards that remained were left to find their own way through the war-torn wilderness, Combow said. By this time, carrying the men who couldn't care for themselves was killing the others. So, somewhere along the way, Combow made a deal with a farmer. He traded a few packs of cigarettes for a wagon and some straw. But, back on the road, the group didn't get far. Some Germans stopped them. They asked how Combow got the wagon. And then they made Combow return it - and give its former owner even more cigarettes, just to keep it. Combow returned to the march. All along the way, as the journey continued, Combow encouraged his fellow prisoners to escape from the guards - and fend for themselves. Even the guards ran away, after a while. At the end of the march, after 85 days on the road, only Combow, an old German guard and nine men on the wagon - unable to fend for themselves - were left. This group arrived near Hamburg, Germany, in late April and were liberated by the British 8th Army, Combow said. But what might have been cause for celebration was darkened by the last-minute death of one of those delirious men: He had died the night before in a barn, Combow said. Later, because of frostbite, two of the other men had their legs amputated, Combow added. THE UNITED STATES ARMY would eventually remember what Combow had done for those men who could not fend for themselves. For saving their lives, he was awarded the second highest military honor - the Distinguished Service Cross. Combow also won several more medals, including half a dozen Purple Hearts. But Combow - in his retirement, at home in Russell County - does not think of himself as a hero. Local citizens do. A painting of Combow on the wall of the Russell County Library in Lebanon recognizes this man's wartime bravery and heroics. But, in his eyes, looking in the mirror, a hero cannot be found. Those eyes, again, welt with tears. And, again, Combow's voice chokes. "To me," he said, "my heroes are those that never came back - the ones that are under the ground." |
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| Editor, Bristol Herald Courier 320 Bob Morrison Blvd Bristol, Va 24201 Dear Sir; The article that appeared in the November 9, 2000 edition of your newspaper regarding the military service and exploits of Mr. Bill Combow from Russell County was, at the least, very interesting. Mr. Combow appears to be the most highly decorated veteran alive and his exploits would have taken several heroic people multiple combat tours to achieve in real life. I am somewhat interested in just how much research the reporter did in this story to verify these amazing exploits and decorations that Mr. Combow credits to himself as I have spent a little time in the military and am a military history buff. I contend that if one examines Mr. Combow's claims and story carefully, the following glaring errors and exaggerations are evident...... Mr. Combow states that he was born on Christmas Eve in 1924 and joined the military right after graduating from high school. This would have been roughly 1943 if he was 18 when he graduated. He then "flew with the Royal Air Force and finished his missions with the Army Air Corps," and then listed a laundry list of what happened after he was shot down. Consider the following and decide for yourself if Mr. Combow is genuine or just another "Wannabee" war hero. 1. The only US Army personnel that flew with the Royal Air Force did so early in the war (1940-1941) before the United States was involved. Mr. Combow would have had to join the military, complete flight school, and then fly with the RAF at the tender age of 15 or so. Do you really think he could have enlisted, completed flight school and became an officer all before he turned 16 years old? 2. Mr. Combow never mentions any unit he was in or the type aircraft he flew. This is HIGHLY unusual for any pilot I have ever met. If he can provide these assignments, I would be happy to check the rolls of fighter squadrons in WW II. All personnel that did fly as pilots with the RAF in WW II were transferred to the 4th Fighter Group in Europe. Mr. Combow's name does not appear on the rolls of this unit. 3. His "secret mission" to "bomb and strafe" a
camouflaged oil distribution point doesn't make any tactical or
strategic sense either. Strafing a factory with machine guns doesn't do
any real damage; a WW II fighter can't carry much more than two 500 lb.
bombs; bombers would have been assigned this mission in the first place;
and oil distribution points are much too big and obvious to be properly
camouflaged. 5. The whole "execution ordeal" sounds like a poor B-grade
movie. In all of my readings about WW II, I have never heard of any
executions by the Germans as described by Mr. Combow. Only accounts of
the Malmendy Massacre during the Battle of the Bulge contained any
verified executions of American Soldiers by the Germans. |
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Sir/Madam: The article about Bill Combow in your Nov. 9th edition is a travesty. You see, Bill Combow is a fake, and it can be proven. Several friends and I devote many hours each day to exposing phony SEALs, and occasionally we run across a fake from a sister service. This is one of them. I wasn't in WWII, but even I can discern the lies this man tells. I can guarantee you that his story is a fairy tale, and I hope you check it out before you are slam-dunked by one or more of the people who are now aware of this story. Sincerely, Larry Bailey, Captain, US Navy (Retired) (27-year SEAL) |
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| At 04:39 PM 9/2/2008, you
wrote:
A couple more things of
interest:
From an (older) News Story: Ø "Combow, who is the current commander of Virginia FVW District 9…."Ø "As district commander and as a VFW representative who has appeared at least twice to testify before a congressional committee on veterans’ affairs…."Ø "He also wears the Distinguished Flying Cross (which was presented to him by General George Patton’s son….")Ø "Of the dozen P-51s on the mission (resulting in his capture), eight were shot down, including Combow’s. Combow was the only survivor who parachuted out of their plane that day.Ø "At the end of his first 30 days of captivity, Combow was put in front of a firing squad, along with six others, for refusing to give information to the Germans. Combow said a hood was pulled over his head and a target placed over his heart. Shots were fired but Combow didn’t feel anything. ‘I thought if this is death, how easy is it,’ Combow said. When the hood was removed, Combow realized that five of the seven men had been executed. His life and that of another prisoner had been spared."Ø "Combow received the Distinguished Service Cross—the second highest U.S. military honor—for his treatment and leadership of his fellow prisoners during the march. Combow also received numerous other awards and ribbons for his military service and was inducted into the Polish Air Force Hall of Fame. |
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| Thanx
for the advisory. Don't you think it's interesting that he has a lot of
his ribbons out of their correct order of precedence? Note also that he
wears an Air Force Commendation Medal between an Army of Occupation
Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. The AFCM didn't come out
until 1958; if he had been in the Service then, he would also have been
eligible for the AF Longevity Ribbon, which he does not show. In
addition, he wears a ribbon to the Meritorious Service Medal, which came
out in about 1969. If he wants to be a convincing phoney he needs to pay
more attention to dates. Finally, he wears ribbons indicating he was in
all three operational theaters in WW II which, although possible, is not
likely. Just from looking at the ribbons he wears and the way in which
he wears them, I'd say he's a serious fake.
Served in the Eagle Squadron but was decorated by Queen Elizabeth? What happened to King George the 6th, who was monarch during WW II? This guy is not only a fake, he's an ill-educated screwball as well! Nick |
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| Ø
Combow was a Captain, but presents himself as a
Colonel, wears a "full bird" and signs correspondence
"Col. William Combow."
Ø Claims he is the highest decorated veteran in the state of Virginia, claims that are also echoed in two newspaper stories about him that they sent me copies of.Ø Is planning a huge military funeral which he says will be attended by Oliver North and Colin Powell.Ø Has two military jeeps he rides in parades in, decked out with his numerous medals while putting himself forth as Virginia's most decorated hero, and calls newspapers and encourages them to send out reporters to interview himØ Goes into schools and talks to the students about his military service and heroics.Ø Served in the Eagle Squadrons prior to his entry into the Army Air Forces and was decorated by Queen Elizabeth. |
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http://www.classiccarsse.com/pr_ww2vet.htm
------FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE------______________________________________________________________________________ World War II POW Veteran Enjoys A Special Trip Down Memory Lane In Middle Tennessee ______________________________________________________________________________ (June 25, 2008 – Lebanon, Tennessee) A very distinguished guest recently took that special walk down “memory lane” at Lebanon, TN based Classic Cars Southeast. Eighty-five year old William White Combow and two close friends, Lebanon businessman Eddie Conrad of Conrad Construction and Wayne Miller of Georgia based Talmo Construction, stopped by the dealership to check out the latest inventory of great classic autos. This was not the first visit by the trio of friends and they enjoy taking advantage of any opportunity to include a stop at the facility whenever they are together in the Middle Tennessee area. The three men recalled fond memories as they viewed the 40 or so vehicles on display and each related stories about respective experiences with many of the classic automobiles in the dealership showroom. Combow, recognized and respected for his very rich heritage of honor, duty and service to his country, is currently a resident of Cedar Bluff, Virginia. However, for a two year period during World War ll, home for him was various concentration camps in Germany, Russia and Poland. At the time, this decorated military serviceman was a Captain in the US Army Air Corp. His appointment as a commissioned aviation officer paved the way for numerous air combat missions that eventually led to his status as a POW. He also served as Squadron Commander for three hundred allied pilots at POW camp # 4 in Russia, near Koszalin, Poland. Now, as a retired Major, his honored military service record, coupled with an impeccable memory and “unique wit”, are impressive traits that command the full attention of anyone in his presence. It is truly an educational experience to learn, first hand, about this great American’s accomplishments and interesting journey through life. Combow’s fascinating story begins back in 1942 when, as a young 18 year old high school graduate, he enlisted in the regular Army to help defend his homeland. A strong desire to enlist had been triggered by an overpowering obligation to do whatever was necessary for his country. By enlisting, he helped to satisfy a US government recruitment goal of ensuring an adequate build-up of US military armed forces. His personal ambition was to become a pilot and, through dedication and hard work, this eager Army private eventually satisfied that dream. Advancement into the ranks of the Army Air Corp soon afterwards found Combow sitting comfortably in the cockpit of an American pursuit aircraft. Reaching prestigious status as a flight officer also meant assignment to an air base in England where he flew almost 50 missions as a P-51 pilot, often engaged in heavy combat. Unfortunately, during an important mission over Germany, to dismantle a refinery disguised as a convalescent hospital, his aircraft was shot down by enemy artillery. This “life altering” incident resulted in his capture and began the two year POW imprisonment. When asked about the most memorable moment in his distinguished career, Combow is quick to reference one particular fateful day, February 2, 1945. That’s when he and fellow POW’s were evacuated from their camp near Koszalin, Poland under the escort of ten German soldiers. Their destination was not clear, however, it was thought to be Stettin, Germany, where they would board a cattle boat and most likely go to Hamburg or Lubeck. Of particular interest, the transfer was made on foot during one of the worst winters Poland and Germany had ever experienced. Evenings found the group bedded down in fields with their only authorized possessions, a few personal belongings and a blanket. They also had a Red Cross parcel consisting of some nourishing food items such as a box of crackers, a can of spam, a chocolate bar and a box of raisins. It also contained some cigarettes and shoe polish, the polish was used by the men for fuel. Each morning the group would arise and, after being counted, continue on the long walk to their destination. At one point during the 1380km hike, a deal was made with a local farmer to acquire a hay wagon for carrying those men who were no longer able to walk. The wagon was traded for some of the American cigarettes which had been included in the Red Cross parcels. Able POW’s pulled the wagon, assisted by various slave laborers that were encountered along the route. This remarkable journey took a total of 93 days, without even one change of clothing. However, this black cloud did contain one silver lining. Unbeknown to anyone in advance, the end of this trip resulted in liberation for each POW. “William Combow is a true American Hero” said Dale Nunnery, founder and president of Classic Cars Southeast, “his record of dedication and personal sacrifices helped to pave the way for all Americans to enjoy a better way of life and for such selfless efforts we are all very grateful”. Since Combow is no stranger to the classic car dealership, he is always eager to stop by and enjoy reminiscing among the beautiful classic vehicles. Nunnery considered it an honor to have his distinguished friend visit the dealership and, as always, enjoyed their brief time together. Additional information on the unique classic car dealership can be found on line at www.classiccarsse.com. Today, when this highly decorated World War II combat pilot is not traveling across America satisfying speaking engagements, he enjoys meeting visitors at a unique memorial located at his home. On display in the exhibit are 38 medals that include the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star, a total of six Air Medals, Purple Heart, Soldiers Medal, and a POW Medal. These items, along with other interesting memorabilia commemorating a remarkable career, are a “must-see” for any patriotic American. Combow also enjoys spending time traveling back to the various areas in Germany and Poland where he proudly served his country and eventually became a POW. One of the most admirable sentiments expressed by this dedicated veteran is his total confidence in and appreciation for today’s youth. Combow’s experiences and life accomplishments offer an interesting story and would be an excellent subject for a book or even the big screen. Fortunately, that’s exactly what is being considered. |
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