Austin Patriot Guard Riders › Forums › Completed Missions › 2LT Bill Jo May, 21, WWII KIA, San Marcos, TX, 20 Mar 2026
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March 15, 2026 at 1:10 pm #7920markwellsKeymaster
Confirmed Mission: The family of 2LT Bill Jo May has invited the Patriot Guard Riders to participate in his interment services. The lieutenant served in the 346th Bombardment Squadron, 99th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force during WWII. He was killed in action on 25 February 1944. He was the co-pilot on a B-17 which was shot down on a bombing mission to Regensburg, Germany, flying out of Foggia, Italy. Eight of the ten crew members survived the crash and stated 2LT May was killed by a 20 mm shell from a German fighter. His remains were unaccounted for during or after the war.
Researchers with the American Graves Registration Command recently identified 2LT May’s remains originally discovered buried in an grave of unknowns in the Catholic Cemetery of Paring, Germany. He will be repatriated and laid to rest in the family’s plot in San Marcos.
Date/Time: Friday, 20 March 2026. Timeline below.
Location: Thomason Funeral Home, 2001 Old Ranch Rd 12, San Marcos, TX 78666. We will stage at the funeral home. map link.
TimeLine:
9:00 – 9:15 – Staging
9:15 am – Briefing
9:30 am – KSU from the funeral home to the cemetery. Arrival will be about an hour ahead of the service at 11 am per funeral director.
10:55 am – flag line for the interment service.Wx: 94 deg F, sunny
Notes: This will be an LEO escorted procession from Thomason Funeral Home in San Marcos to the Memory Lawn Memorial Park, about 10 miles east on Hwy 80 in Martindale, TX. Fly your big flags and bring drinking water.
Ride Captain: Gary Mayers, texanat6@aol.com, (512) 797-6613
Flag Wrangler: Max VasquezPlease attend to honor this WWII hero’s ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom many years ago.
March 20, 2026 at 6:22 pm #7946Gary MayersModeratorToday’s Mission marks a time dating back to the 25th of February 1944. 2LT Bill Jo May was shot down in a B-17 in Germany. Today his family was able to lay him to rest with his parents in a small cemetery in Martindale after 82 years.
The Patriot Guard was invited to ride in a procession from the Thomason Funeral Home in San Marcos that was about 8 miles. Seven riders showed up this morning with smiles on their faces and ready to ride in this memorious occasion. We did out brief at 9:15. We then moved to the hearse and saluted as they loaded Mr. May.
At 9:35 we departed the Funeral home for an 18 minute ride. Once we arrived at the cemetery we dismounted and then had about a 45 minute wait till the internment would start. At 10:45 we formed the flag line and waited for the pallbearers to bring up the casket. The Army color guard was there as pallbearers, folding of the casket flag, and rendering a 21 gun salute. Taps was played by a trumpet player and it was a real trumpet playing not a recording.
The service was provided by a family member that talked about his young life in the military.
2LT May was also a motorcycle rider, wonder what he was riding back in 1940. The Family came and thanked us for providing the escort and standing the flag line.
What is interesting about this mission is that the family members except one never knew or grew up with 2LT May they just knew of him. This was a celebration for the whole family.I thanked the riders for taking the time out of their day to partake in this celebration of life.
Most of the riders were from San Marcos, and New Braunfels area.2LT Bill Jo May rest in peace
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