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HORNE WILLIAM ANTHONY Age 98, passed away on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at Masonic Village in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. He was born in Braddock on October 21, 1918, to the late George and Martha (Morgan) Horne. Beloved husband of Helen (Van Voorhis) Horne whom he married on January 16, 1944; loving father of Thomas Anthony Horne (Sylvia) of New Market, MD and Jonathan Van Voorhis Horne (Kimberly) of Danville, CA; grandfather of Anthony, Alexander, and Peter (Chelsea); great-grandfather of Landon and Liam; brother of the late Elizabeth. WilliamBill to all who knew himgrew up in Braddock and Swissvale, attended Washington and Jefferson College, then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. As a 20-year-old, he served as a merchant seaman for Moore-McCormack Lines, with ports of call in Germany, Poland, the Baltic nations, Scandinavia, and Russia. In 1941 he signed up as an Aviation Cadet in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After earning his pilot wings and officer's commission, he served a combat tour of duty in World War II with the 18th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 64th Troop Carrier Group, assigned to the 12th Air Force. On November 9, 1942, Bill flew a C-47the military variant of the Douglas DC-3from Lands End, England to Gibraltar and Algiers, making several paratroop drops in Morocco and Algeria as part of Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. Subsequently, he flew supplies, wounded, and other transport missions throughout North Africa, in addition to other paratroop drops in Tunisia. When German forces surrendered in North Africa, Bill personally flew their Commander of Army Group Africa, Hans-Jürgen von Arnim, from Tunis to Gibraltar, where he began his captivity. Between July 9 and 17, 1943, Bill participated in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. Flying out of his base at Kairouan, Tunisia, at night and without fighter escort, he inserted U.S. Army Ranger paratroop units behind enemy lines at Gela, Comiso, Syracuse, and Catania, Sicily, as well as Avellino, Foggia, and Naples, Italy. Upon returning to the United States, Bill served as a trans-Atlantic ferry and cargo pilot, and flight instructor in multi-engine bombers at numerous bases. He finished his service as a Major, with a Europe- Africa-Middle East campaign ribbon with four battle zone stars, a nomination for a Silver Star, and an Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, among other awards. Bill went on to complete his degree at Penn, then served for 32 years as a district and regional sales manager for the Allegheny Ludlum Stainless Steel Corporation in New York, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. He was a member of The Presbyterian Church, Sewickley; Sewickley Heights Golf Club; and the Edgeworth Club. His hobbies included golfing, reading, walking and wood carving. A memorial service with Military Honors will be held at Masonic Village on Saturday, March 18, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. Rev. Tim Reichard will officiate. Inurnment will be later in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies. Arrangements by Copeland's. Send condolences post-gazette.com/gb
