Perhaps it was a kind of perverse blessing that there was much paperwork needing to be dealt with following Billy's death. Maybe this kind of mundane activity gave June something of a respite from her devastating grief. Fifteen years seems like such a short time for a marriage to last, especially after seeing Billy survive the horrors of war, only to be taken from her in times of peace...I can't even imagine what a blow this was to her.
For practical as well as sentimental reasons, June saved most, of not all, of these official documents, letters and certificates of commendation, and official forms. Below is a listing with summaries and links to scans of these papers. For scans of the Great Falls, and some other, newspaper covers, as well as some other documents, see this page.
| When | Summary | Link |
| April 18 | Letter of condolence from the governor of Montana, exceedingly prompt and kind; an excerpt: "I always felt just a little safer when we were on flights and he was one of the pilots." | gov.pdf |
| April 20 | Casualty Report form; brief, with administrative details such as pay and next of kin Interesting points:
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| April 20 | Personal Effects Inventory form; incredibly detailed and poignant listing of items from Billy's office Interesting points:
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effects.pdf |
| April 21 | Program from the annual Texas A&M Muster ceremony, where deceased alumni are honored; I assume it was only a coincidence that the ceremony happened on this date, and I wonder who was able to get his name into the program so quickly | muster.pdf |
| April 25 | Letter from the Armed Forces Relief and Benefit Assn., offering sympathy and detailing life insurance benefits due from this organization | 60_4_25.pdf |
| April 27 | "Public Voucher for Unpaid Pay and Allowances Due a Deceased Member of the Uniformed Services"; Billy was due $557.55 | 60_4_27.pdf |
| May 5 | Receipt from the Office of the Quartermaster General of application for headstone; June did not waste any time in applying for the headstone, which you can see at the bottom of this page. A note dated June 29 indicates the marker is to be shipped directly to the cemetery. | 60_5_5.pdf |
| undated | Request for Reimbursement of Interrment Expenses | interment.pdf |
| May 6 | Letter from the VA with instructions for filing a claim for "Government Life Insurance." | 60_5_6.pdf |
| undated | Form from the VA requesting information regarding an Insurance Death Claim | ins.pdf |
| May | May issue of the "Scorpion," a newletter of the 120th Fighter Group of the Montana Air National Guard; page 3 is "In Memoriam" for Billy and Lt. Poland, who was also killed in the crash. | 60_5_news.pdf |
| June 2 | Form from the Veterans Benefits Office of the VA, noting that a benefit of $188/month is to be paid at the end of each month | 60_6_2.pdf |
| June 6 | Cover letter for "Honorable Service" certificate from the Dept. of the Air Force | |
| June 28 | Memo from Malmstrom requesting information for claiming a dependent travel allowance | 60_6_28.pdf |
| August | August, 1960 issue of the "Communications and Electronic Digest," a publication of the Air Defense Command Headquarters; Billy wrote an article for the Digest the day before the crash. | cover.pdf article1.pdf article2.pdf |
| undated | Clipping from Great Falls paper reporting on the accident investigation; an "elevator control failure" was found responsible, but "the final specific cause...is undetermined due to the extensive destruction of the aircraft." | clipping.pdf |
| Nov. 11 | Letter from Henry Maine about Billy's accident; Hank was one of the first persons to arrive at the crash site. Excerpt: "He was still in his seat but badly battered from the impact. I stood there next to him very briefly wishing I could do anything to bring him back to life. ...What I have always been thankful for...is that he did not have to suffer at all." | 60_11_11.pdf |
| undated | Certificate of appreciation signed by President Johnson; this must have been sent after November, 1963 | certificate.lbj.pdf |