World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Harold E. Halldorson
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Oakland, California
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
RANK: TECHNICAL SERGEANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS JANUARY 26, 1943 AT LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. SERVED AS A B-29 SUPERFORTRESS BOMBER TOP TURRET GUNNER ASSIGNED TO THE 677TH BOMB SQUADRON, 444TH BOMB GROUP, 58TH BOMB WING, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, U.S. 20TH AIR FORCE. HIS UNIT WAS STATIONED AT THE WEST FIELD ‘GURGUAN POINT’, TINIAN, MARIANA ISLANDS, PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. ON HIS 29TH MISSION, FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1945 HIS SUPERFORTRESS WAS SHOT DOWN DURING A PATHFINDER CARPET-BOMBING INCENDIARY RAID OVER TOKYO. AFTER BAILING OUT OF HIS CRIPPLED BOMBER, HE WAS REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 1945 AND IS MEMORIALIZED AT THE HONOLULU NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEMETERY ‘PUNCHBOWL’, HONOLULU, HAWAII. THERE WERE 11 CREWMEN ON BOARD, 2 BAILED OUT AND 9 PERISHED IN THE DISASTER. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: THE SERGEANT WAS AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS FOR HEROISM OR EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT WHILE PARTICIPATING IN AERIAL FLIGHT. THE AIR MEDAL WITH 2 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS FOR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT WHILE PARTICIPATING IN AERIAL FLIGHT. THE PURPLE HEART FOR HIS SUPREME SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.