William McBride enlisted in the Army Air Forces in 1942. After serving during World War II as a Navigator of a Heavy Bomber, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross, he transferred to the U.S. Air Force when it became a separate branch of service in 1947. From 1975 to 1978 he served as the 15th Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He retired in 1978 as a U.S. Air Force 4-Star General.