World War II Honoree

Edward Richard Albini

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Valley Ford, California

Honored By

Dennis Morelli

Relationship

Nephew

HE JOINED THE NAVY IN THE FALL OF 1942. HE WAS TRAINED AS A RADIOMAN AND TAIL GUNNER AND WAS ATTACHED TO THE VB-19 BOMBING SQUADRON. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION DURING A STRIKE AGAINST IWO JIMA ISLAND IN THE JAPANESE HELD BONIN GROUP. THE PLANE IN WHICH HE WAS FLYING AS RADIOMAN AND REAR SEAT GUNNER WAS THE LAST IN A FORMATION TO DIVE AT ENEMY INSTALLATIONS, AND WHEN THE FORMATION MADE ITS RENDEZVOUS HIS PLANE WAS MISSING. DUE TO THE EXTREMELY HEAVY BLANKET OF ENEMY ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE AND THE NUMBER OF ATTACKING AIRCRAFT, ACCURATE OBSERVATION WAS IMPOSSIBLE. THE ONLY PERSON WHO ACTUALLY SAW HIS PLANE FALL WAS THE PILOT OF A COMPANION AIRCRAFT ON THIS FLIGHT THAT WAS DAMAGED TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WAS FORCED DOWN ON THE WATER. TWO DISTINCT CRASH LANDINGS WERE NOTED AT THE TIME, ONE OF WHICH WAS DEFINITELY ACCOUNTED FOR, AND IT WAS THUS ASCERTAINED THAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE SECOND CRASH, FROM WHICH NO SURVIVORS WERE SEEN TO APPEAR.