U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS Bill Haefele Bill Haefele took his childhood interest in building model airplanes to new heights. What began as child’s play turned into an ambition that took flight. In September 1942, 18-year-old Haefele traveled to Portland from his Winthrop hometown to put his name on the roster to be a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps. He was not constrained by the fact that he never had been in the air. All he aspired for was to fly a P-47 Thunderbolt. He had his heart set on it. “It was the most horsepower fighter in the service at that time,” Haefele said. It was his first, second and third choice on all his applications. “All or nothing,” he said. “Everyone told me I couldn’t. I’d be washed out.” Of course, before any fighter flying could be attempted, Haefele had to learn how to fly. He remembers, with quite a bit of admiration, the man who taught him how to get off the ground in the corps’ beginners flight school: one Mr. Bell. These lessons took him on many fields around the United States and Mr. Bell’s teachings stuck well beyond flight school. At graduation from the Army Air Corps’ flying school, assignments were announced. Haefele would get his wish: He was assigned to fly a P-47 Thunderbolt. He and a team of fighter pilots were flown out from their final stateside field, California’s Hamilton Field, to Port Moresby, New Guinea. He was a part of the 41st Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group Only at the port for two weeks, the group “shot up ships, dive bombed and subdued airports,” he said. In another location in New Guinea, Haefele described how the Japanese would slip into the American camps at night. “I was still young; I didn’t know what war was about,” he said. One night in particular, seven Japanese were shot after being found in the camp. Haefele had a brush with death at one point when his plane went down on a Philippine beach. “There was absolute engine failure in enemy territory,” he said. Philippine natives came to help him, but he didn’t trust them. He had heard of torture methods the enemy used on American prisoners. It was not going to happen to him. “I had eight bullets; one was going to be for me,” he said. “There was no way I was going to be a prisoner.” The natives didn’t harm Haefele and the mayday calls he radioed from his plane were answered six hours later. Using coconut logs to help keep himself afloat, Haefele swam two miles in shark-infested waters to a safety ship. His military flights focused on support missions, though he also faced combat at times. Haefele’s active duty status ended in September 1945. He came home to Maine and became part of the reserves in December of that same year. He served in the reserves for approximately nine years. He married his first wife, Anna, in 1945. She had been a longtime girlfriend from before the war. Beginning in 1956, he served as president and manager of the Wilson’s Dollar Store in Winthrop. Haefele divorced following 17 years of marriage and remarried in 1964. His second wife, Barbara, “was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said. In 1966, he purchased and began running the Country Store in Trenton, splitting his time between Winthrop and Trenton. He also served as a councilman in Winthrop and was a member of the Planning Board and chairman of the Landfill Committee in that town. Haefele was a Boy Scout master for a spell, a member of the American Legion for more than 50 years and part of the Winthrop Grange 60 years. He never gave up his true love, flying. Haefele was a bush flyer for a half-century. Each day, he drew on the teachings of Mr. Bell. Barbara died of cancer in 2000. “I really loved her,” Haefele said. “I worshiped her." Recently, he sold his longtime Trenton business. Haefele, at 80, returned to Winthrop where he enjoys his eight children (a combination of step-children and biological children), 19 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, with two on the way.  As for his time he spent doing his part during the war, he said he had no regrets. “I wanted to help defend the United States of America, do my part. I had to make sacrifices,” he said. “I remembered flying the best,” Haefele said, “because that’s what I loved.” — By Jesica Collin