William “Bill” Becker is a World War II veteran who served the U.S. Office of Strategic Services as a “carpetbagger.” Valley News/Diane A. Rhodes photo
William “Bill” Becker enlisted in the military in 1944 and at the age of 18, he learned how to fly Liberator bombers for the United States Army Air Corps. He was then assigned duties that aided the French Resistance by dropping supplies over France, Norway, Belgium and Italy.Becker, now 97, was part of a crew that ran clandestine missions deep inside German-occupied territories. The U.S. Office of Strategic Services, which was a precursor to the CIA, called this effort Operation Carpetbagger. The modified B-24 Liberator aircraft used for the nighttime missions were referred to as “carpetbaggers.” The OSS authorized more than 1,860 missions between England and various points in occupied Europe between January and September of 1944. The top-secret OSS played a pivotal role in des
