World War II Honoree

Valorie L. Pollard

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

San Francisco, California

Honored By

Carol Darnell & Richard Gaboury

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES, JUNE 15, 1942 IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE U.S. 5TH ARMY AIR FORCES, 312TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 389TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, ABOARD A TWO-MAN ARMY AIR FORCE A-20G-10-DO (DOUGLAS) HAVOC SERIAL NUMBER 42-54082 TAIL W. MARCH 13, 1944 THE AIRCRAFT FROM GUSAP AIRFIELD, PAPUA, NEW GUINEA, CRASHED UPON RETURN TRIP FROM A JAPANESE AIRFIELD BOMBING RAID. HE WAS KILLED IN MOUNTAINOUS JUNGLE TERRAIN, 15 MILES SOUTH OF SAIDOR VILLAGE. NO VISIBLE EVIDENCE WAS MADE THE FOLLOWING DAY DURING AN AIR SEARCH FOR THE MISSING AIRMEN AND AIRCRAFT. HE WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED DEAD JANUARY 27, 1946 AND WAS MEMORIALIZED AT MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY, FORT BONIFACIO, MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL AND A PURPLE HEART. IN 1989 THE WRECKAGE OF HIS AIRCRAFT WAS DISCOVERED. JULY 17, 2013, U.S. MILITARY OFFICIALS NOTIFIED HIS DAUGHTER THAT HIS REMAINS WERE FOUND AND IDENTIFIED. ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2013 HIS REMAINS WERE BURIED WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY.