William Douglas Dunham (January 29, 1920 – March 3, 1990) was an American flying ace in the 348th Fighter Group during World War II, scoring 16 aerial victories.

[1] Dunham was assigned as a pilot with the 53d Fighter Group from December 1941 to September 1942 at Tallahassee, Florida, and later Howard Field in Panama Canal Zone, where he flew the P-39 Airacobras.

Flying the P-47 Thunderbolts, he scored his first aerial victory when he shot down a Kawasaki Ki-61 "Tony" on October 11, 1943, east of Boram, New Guinea.

He finally became a flying ace on December 21, 1943, during an aerial patrol over Arawe, where he shot down three Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers.

On the same day, Dunham, Major Samuel Blair, and Colonel Neel Kearby took off on a combat patrol to intercept Japanese aircraft.

On August 1, Dunham shot down a Nakajima Ki-84 "Frank" over Kyushu, during a long-range fighter mission over the Japanese Home Islands, his 16th and last aerial victory of the war.

[8] In January 1946, following World War II, he was assigned as commander of Squadron B, 464th Army Air Force Base Unit at McChord Field in Washington, the position he held from February 1946 to May 1946.

[1] His next assignment was as deputy commander of the 71st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Larson Air Force Base in Washington from March 1955 until June 1956.

Returning to the United States, Dunham spent the next year as commander of the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing at George Air Force Base in California.

[6] Source:[9] During his lengthy career, Dunham earned many decorations, including:[10] The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Major (Air Corps) William Douglas Dunham, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-47 Fighter Airplane in the 460th Fighter Squadron, 348th Fighter Group, Fifth Air Force, in action near San Isidro Bay, Philippine Islands, on December 7, 1944.

Major Dunham was lead pilot of a flight of nine fighter planes whose mission was to engage, disperse and destroy aerial cover provided by the enemy for their shipping convoy lying in San Isidro Bay.

While en route to the objective at 18,000 feet, he sighted a formation of nine enemy fighters coming in from the northern end of Cebu, and immediately ordered an attack.

Major Dunham then proceeded toward the squadron's rendezvous point over San Isidro Bay, and enroute there to was joined by another plane which flew wing position for him.