World War II Honoree

Nelson Grills

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Pennsylvania

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

LIEUTENANT AND PILOT OF THE K-74 AIRSHIP. IT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE ONLY COMBAT LOSS OF A BLIMP DURING WWII. WHILE PROTECTING TWO SHIPS SAILING IN AN AREA JUST OFF OF THE FLORIDA KEYS, THE K-74 CREW SPOTTED A GERMAN U-BOAT THAT HAD SURFACED. HE DECIDED THAT THE BOATS UNDER HIS PROTECTION WERE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER AND TOOK A STEEP DIVE TO ATTACK THE U-BOAT. THE SLOW MOVING K-74 WAS AN EASY TARGET FOR THE ANTI-AIRCRAFT FROM THE U-BOAT BUT STILL RETURNED FIRE WITH IT’S GUNS, AND THE BLIMP’S MOMENTUM CARRIED IT DIRECTLY OVER THE U-BOAT BUT THE BLIMP’S BOMB-RELEASE MECHANISM FAILED, AND THE BATTERED AIRSHIP CRASHED INTO THE SEA. ONE CREW MEMBER WAS KILLED BY A SHARK ATTACK AS THEY WAITED TO BE RESCUED. AT FIRST REPRIMANDED FOR HIS ATTACK ON THE U-BOAT, HE WAS LATER AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS.