World War II Honoree

Hugh Clayton Audas

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Dayton, Ohio

Honored By

Larry Audas

Relationship

Son

ON THE 4TH OF JULY, 1942, HUGH AUDAS WAS ON A TRAIN TO PARRIS ISLAND AND BOOT CAMP. HE HAD ENLISTED IN THE U.S. MARINE CORPS TWO DAYS EARLIER IN CINCINNATI, OHIO. TO BE CERTAIN, PARRIS ISLAND WAS MORE THAN INTENSE, AND IN FACT, TWELVE WEEKS OF BASIC TRAINING WAS COMPLETED IN TEN. HE OPTED FOR THE MARINE AIRCRAFT WING (MAW) AND HOPED TO BE A GUNNER. AT SIX FEET TWO INCHES, HE WAS TOO TALL. INSTEAD, HE WOULD TRAIN AS AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC AT MILITARY BASES IN CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA AND JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. THAT AIRCRAFT PROFICIENCY TOOK HIM TO EL TORO, CALIFORNIA, WHERE HE FIRST WORKED ON GRUMMAN F4F WILDCAT FIGHTER PLANES. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE FIRST MARINE AIR CORP, FIRST DIVISION. FROM THE NAVAL AIR STATION AT ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, HE SET SAIL FOR THE PACIFIC THEATER AS A MEMBER OF THE ALREADY DECORATED MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON (VMF) 223 HE SERVED AS A CREW CHIEF ON THE VMF 223’S NEW PLANE, THE VOUGHT-SIKORSKY F4U-1 CORSAIR. HE PREPARED AND REPAIRED F4US IN MULTIPLE PACIFIC CAMPAIGNS INCLUDING BOUGAINVILLE FROM OCTOBER 27 TO DECEMBER 15, 1943. HE SERVED AS CREW CHIEF FOR CAPTAIN FRANK POOLE, F4U FIGHTER PILOT. AFTER BOUGAINVILLE WAS SECURED, HE AND THE VMF 223 SAW COMBAT DECEMBER 16, 1943 TO DECEMBER 12, 1944 AGAINST THE JAPANESE IN THE LONG SOLOMON ISLAND CAMPAIGN. QUALIFIED AS A PISTOL MARKSMAN AND RIFLE MARKSMAN. HE EARNED HONORABLE SERVICE AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDALS. AFTER WWII HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM THE MARINE CORPS ON APRIL 5, 1946.