World War II Honoree

Walter E. Gurley

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Davidson, North Carolina

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 2ND LIEUTENANT. SERVED AS A LB-30 ‘LIBERATOR’ BOMBER NAVIGATOR ASSIGNED TO THE 31ST BOMB SQUADRON, 5TH BOMB GROUP, U.S. 7TH AIR FORCE STATIONED AT HICKAM FIELD, HAWAII. ON JUNE 7, 1942 FOUR LB-30 ‘LIBERATOR’ BOMBERS WERE ASSEMBLED AT THE MIDWAY ISLAND AIRFIELD AND TOOK-OFF DURING THE PREDAWN DARKNESS ON A BOMBING MISSION AGAINST THE JAPANESE NAVAL SHIPS AT WAKE ISLAND. HIS AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE LEAD POSITION AND SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING MIDWAY ATOLL; IT BEGAN LAGGING BEHIND THE FORMATION. IT WAS OBSERVED GOING DOWN, OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHING INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. SEARCH EFFORTS WERE CONDUCTED FOR TWO WEEKS, BUT NO TRACE OF THE BOMBER OR ANY OF THE 11 CREWMEN WAS FOUND. HE WAS REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION AND LOST AT SEA SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 1942 AND IS MEMORIALIZED AT THE HONOLULU NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEMETERY ‘PUNCHBOWL’, HONOLULU, HAWAII. DECORATIONS AND MEDALS: SILVER STAR AND A PURPLE HEART WERE AWARDED POSTHUMOUSLY. THE SILVER STAR WAS AWARDED TO THE LIEUTENANT FOR DISTINGUISHED GALLANTRY IN ACTION AND VALOR IN THE FACE OF THE ENEMY.