World War II Honoree

David H. Fielder

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Cranston, Rhode Island

Honored By

Glenn D. Fielder

Relationship

Son

HE JOINED THE MARINE CORPS AFTER THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR WANTING TO BECOME A PILOT. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO VMF-422, MAG-22, 2ND MARINE AIRCRAFT WING, FLEET MARINE FORCE AS AN ARMORER FOR F4U CORSAIR #30 KNOWN AS 'FLAK BAIT' PILOTED BY LIEUTENANT ELRID SPINAS. THEY BOUNCED AROUND THE PACIFIC FROM THE MARSHALL ISLANDS TO THE JAPANESE ISLANDS OF ENGEBI AND IESHIMA. AFTER THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA AND THE SURRENDER OF JAPAN, VMF-422 WAS SENT TO KYUSHU, YOKOSUKA AND FINALLY TOKYO, JAPAN WHERE HE TOOK PART IN THE DISARMING OF JAPAN. ONE OF HIS JOBS WAS TO DISARM JAPANESE TORPEDOES SO THAT THEY COULD BE SHIPPED SAFELY STATESIDE TO LEARN WHY THEY WERE SO MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OUR TORPEDOES. AFTER BEING TRANSFERRED STATESIDE TO MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, WAS DISCHARGED MAY 21, 1945.