William Calvin was known as “Bill” to his friends and “Your Honor” to people who stood in front of his bench on the second floor of the old DeWitt County courthouse. Few people were aware of Major Calvin’s service as a B-17 pilot with the 12th Air Force. 

The first many people knew of his service came in the stories recounted in interviews with John Warner, a local pilot who published an aviation column in a Clinton newspaper. Warner, our co-author, expanded the story for our upcoming Prairie Flyers of Central Illinois: A Century of Aviation in America’s Heartland.  I can’t help but wonder how the close calls he experienced during World War II influenced Calvin’s judicial career. 

Prairie Flyers is a collection of stories based on interviews with aviators, aviation lovers and their families. From the pioneers who learned to fly on grass strips to the young service members currently carrying on the tradition of military aviation, Prairie Flyers cover a century of aviation history. The book is scheduled for a summer 2025 release.