At 103 years old, Wallace “Wally” King stood before New Castle City Council to accept a commendation for wartime bravery that began with a burning P-47 Thunderbolt and a parachute landing that severely injured his ankle. The New Wilmington veteran, who flew 75 combat missions across Europe following D-Day, was captured by the Luftwaffe following his final mission and lived to tell about it eight decades later.
According to New Castle News, King enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at age 18 in 1942, began training in 1943 and earned his wings in 1944. He piloted a P-47 Thunderbolt on bombing-run escorts and strafing runs against enemy vehicles, and after completing his 35th mission, he was offered the chance to return stateside. He declined, and again turned down a trip home after mission 50, which came with the opportunity for a promotion to captain, choosing instead to keep flying alongside his squadron.
That decision nearly cost him everything. On his final mission, April 18, 1945, King's Thunderbolt was struck by German anti-aircraft fire while it was roughly 30 feet off the ground. He was forced to climb to 5,000 feet just to eject safely, suffering burns to his legs, wrists and face along the way. When his parachute brought him down, he severely injured his ankle on landing, and Luftwaffe forces captured him shortly after. German villagers assaulted him both physically and verbally before he was moved between several camps over the following weeks, according to the same New Castle News account.
A Wartime Escape and a Long Road Home
A German doctor eventually treated King's injuries, and he managed to escape to Allied forces in France. He spent two months recovering before finally returning to the United States. New Castle Mayor Mark Elisco, who presented King with the council's commendation, told the outlet that King's story “should be a movie” and called him “much more than a local hero” — a national one.
King's combat record extended well beyond the missions detailed at the council meeting. As a member of the 513th Fighter Squadron of the 406th Fighter Group in the Ninth Air Force, he ultimately flew 75 total combat missions across both P-51 Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts, according to HistoryNet. He switched to the Thunderbolt after his original Mustang unit was reassigned to reconnaissance duty following D-Day. That squadron was also equipped with rockets.
Flying Cover for Patton's Third Army
King's P-47 unit provided air cover for frontline troops during the Battle of the Bulge, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
After his December 1945 discharge, King built a civilian career as a Certified Public Accountant, starting an accounting firm in the Youngstown area that later expanded into New Castle, according to Business Journal Daily. The firm expanded into New Castle after acquiring a solo practice and an office in Salem, Ohio, planting the roots that eventually brought his story back to New Castle's council chambers.
Decades of Teaching and Remembrance
King has visited Normandy, France three times, including the 80th anniversary ceremony of the invasion in 2024, and he also attended a Pearl Harbor anniversary commemorative ceremony in 2021. In June 2022, he was part of a 30-veteran delegation that flew to France aboard a historic Delta Air Lines charter organized with the Best Defense Foundation, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Then in June 2025, King delivered remarks as an official veteran speaker at the Normandy American Cemetery during the 81st anniversary D-Day commemoration, per the American Battle Monuments Commission.
Closer to home, King volunteers weekly with Lawrence County Meals on Wheels and remains active with New Wilmington Presbyterian Church and its bible studies. He still enjoys reading, playing games, riding his bicycle and traveling. The photograph and background information accompanying the original council recognition were contributed by Marine Corps Detachment 788.
A Chance to Remember
New Castle's recognition gave King an opportunity to share his World War II experiences with the community.
King, at 103, told the council he was honored to be represented and to share some of his experiences. His words underscored the value of hearing a veteran's story firsthand.
