World War II Honoree

Milton Paine

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Ludlow, Massachusetts

Honored By

Roberta Cyr

A PRE-WAR AVIATOR/EDUCATOR WHO BECAME A NAVY PILOT AND IN 1943 WAS OPERATIONS OFFICER WITH A UNIT IN FLORIDA, RANK OF LIEUTENANT COMMANDER. HE WAS ABOARD A NAVY PLANE BOUND FOR RHODE ISLAND WHICH MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINSIDE DURING HEAVY WEATHER. DESPITE SEVERITY OF HIS OWN INJURIES, HE TENDED TO THE UNCONSCIOUS PILOT AND CO-PILOT AND REFRAINED SPECTATORS FROM LIGHTING PIPES AND CIGARETTES, WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN EXPLOSION AND FIRE FROM LEAKING GASOLINE. HE DIED FROM HIS INJURIES SIX WEEKS AFTER THE CRASH AND WAS POSTHUMOUSLY DECORATED FOR HIS COURAGE AT THE CRASH SCENE.