Sgt. William Garner Rodger was born in Maywood, Illinois, on July 6, 1916 to W. Fred Rodger and Bernice Hexamer-Rodger and had two sisters. His family resided at 615 North 2n Avenue in Maywood. When he was a child his mother died. One of his sisters was killed in a car accident. In 1934, he graduated from Proviso Township High School and then completed a two year course at Georgia State College, Atlanta, Georgia. He was employed by the Ceco Steel Products Company, Cicero, Illinois. He was engaged to Vera Stelzer of Chicago.
He registered with Selective Service when the draft act took on October 16, 1940 and was inducted into the US Army on February 23, 1942, and issued the serial number 36 320 953. He appears to have been assigned to the Army Air Corps. What is known about the training he received is that he was at the following bases at some point: Lowery Field, Texas; Harlingen Field, Texas, for gunnery school; Hammer Field California; March Field, California; and finally Hamilton Field, San Rafael, California. William qualified as a gunner.
On July 25, 1944, William was one of the ten man crew of a B-24J Liberator that took off, at 6:00 am, from Hamilton Field on a routine cross-country combat training mission. According to the residents of San Pablo, as the plane flew over the town toward the bay, they heard the planes motors sputter and the plane plunged toward the bay. It was also stated that it appears the pilot and co-pilot were attempting to ditch the plane in the bay about eight miles off shore. It was stated that as the plane hit the water it exploded.
Boats from the Army and Navy were sent to the area where wreckage was seen. The body of one crew member was found. The other nine members of the crew were reported as missing. It is not known how long the search lasted, but when it was called off the men were declared dead including Sgt. William G. Rodger.
