World War II Honoree

Rodney Earl Montgomery, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Norfolk, Nebraska

Honored By

Rodney E. Montgomery III

Relationship

Son

FIRST LIEUTENANT. AS A FIGHTER PILOT, FLEW WITH THE MARINE NIGHT FIGHTER SQUADRON VMF(N)-541, MARINE AIR GROUP 53, 3RD MARINE AIR WING, FLEET MARINE FORCE, COMMISSIONED ON FEBRUARY 15, 1944 AT CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA. THE SQUADRON WAS COMPOSED OF THE FIRST RADAR EQUIPPED GRUMMAN HELLCATS FOR NIGHT FIGHTING, THE F6F-3N. THE BAT-EYE SQUADRON DISTINGUISHED ITSELF AT GUADALCANAL, PELELIU, LEYTE AND ULITHI. THE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE IN DECEMBER 1944 IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF THE RETURN OF GENERAL MACARTHUR TO LEYTE, VMF(N)-541 WAS RECOGNIZED, AS THEY WERE THE ONLY MARINE SQUADRON AWARDED THE ARMY’S DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION. HE WAS THE FIRST MARINE TO SHOOT DOWN A JAPANESE PLANE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, AN IMPERIAL ARMY KI-43 OSCAR FIGHTER, AT NIGHT. FOR THAT, HE WAS AWARDED A DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS AND WAS AFFORDED A PERSONAL AUDIENCE WITH THE THEN FILIPINO PRESIDENT SERGIO OSMENA AT THE LEYTE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL IN TACLOBAN. HE LATER SCORED ½ A JAKE.