Soldier’s name added to Memorial Stone in Blue Ash

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(June 2, 2021 – Blue Ash)

Staff Sergeant William “Billy” Hoeb’s name has been added to the Memorial Stone outside of the Bicentennial Veterans Memorial in Blue Ash.  

During WWII, Hoeb's B-26 went down, and all of the crew, including Hoeb, were killed. It was recently discovered that Hoeb had lived in Blue Ash. 

The announcement of the addition of Hoeb’s name was made during the Memorial Day Ceremony.

The following is an excerpt from Mayor Marc Sirkin’s speech that explains how Hoeb’s name came to be added to the stone:

“I’d like to share with you a short story of Billy Hoeb. In 1942, Billy enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps, which later became the United States Air Force. Billy served in the European Theater of Operations as a tail gunner on a B-26 Marauder bomber, operating with the 587th Bombardment Squadron stationed in England.
During WWII, on D-Day, the morning of June 6, 1944, Staff Sergeant William “Billy” Hoeb and five other crew members of their B-26 bomber, took off from their base in England en route to their D-Day bombing mission in France. At approximately 6 a.m., Billy’s plane went down and all of the crew, including Billy, were killed.  Billy received the Purple Heart Medal.
The unique twist to this story- impacting us, today, and only recently discovered, is that Staff Sergeant Billy Hoeb was raised on Plainfield Road on a property adjacent to what is now the University of Cincinnati- Blue Ash campus. Billy was not only an American citizen answering the call, but he was one of us, from our city of Blue Ash.
A friend of Billy’s- WWII Veteran James Glorious, before his own more recent death, related Billy’s story and provided documentation to his US Marine veteran grandson, Scott Kube, so that Billy’s sacrifice and the cost of the fight for freedom could be remembered by future generations. Scott Kube is a member of our own Blue Ash American Legion Post 630, and Scott is present with us today. Scott, thank you, and thanks to your grandfather for making all of us aware of Billy’s story.
Today, as Mayor of the City of Blue Ash, our city confirms Billy’s sacrifice and will memorialize his name by joining it to those Blue Ash Citizens- recognized for their ultimate sacrifice in this nation’s fight for freedom. I encourage you to visit the Memorial Stone located at the entry to the Veterans Park, to my right, and on which Billy’s name may now be found.”