WILLIAM W. COMBOW
MAY 2010 -
AOPA Fly in Day in Hohenwald, TN that was held last Saturday May 15th. William Combow flew in to Hohenwald in his friend's private plane AND he had someone else haul his military vehicle with all his medals attached in by trailer. William was to give a speech about his life as a pilot in World War II. He never attended aviation school and never was a pilot during the war. He did not receive all the medals that he claimed he received. CLAIMS 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... .... 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:... |
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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 CLAIMS 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 ... 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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