World War II Honoree

Paul Moret

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

San Diego, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: LIEUTENANT COLONEL. HE WAS A UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS PILOT, WHO FLEW THE GRUMMAN AVENGER TBF-1 TORPEDO BOMBER. COMMANDED THE FIRST MARINE CORPS TORPEDO BOMBING SQUADRON VMTB-131, MARINE AIR GROUP-22 ATTACHED TO THE FIRST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING. HIS UNIT WAS STATIONED AT THE SAN ROQUE AIRFIELD, ZAMBOANGA PROVINCE, MINDANAO PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. HE DIED JUNE 8, 1943 IN A PLANE CRASH ON THE ISLAND OF NEW CALEDONIA LOCATED IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER AND WAS BURIED IN THE NOUMEA, UNITED STATES MILITARY CEMETERY, NEW CALEDONIA. IN HIS MEMORY AND HONOR, THE SAN ROQUE AIRFIELD WAS OFFICIALLY NAMED MORET FIELD. AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES WITH JAPAN, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO HIS FAMILY, WITH INTERMENT JANUARY 31, 1948 IN THE FORT ROSECRANS NATIONAL CEMETERY, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. DECORATION AND CITATION: THE MARINE LIEUTENANT COLONEL WAS AWARDED THE LEGION OF MERIT (POSTHUMOUSLY) FOR EXCEPTIONALLY MERITORIOUS CONDUCT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF OUTSTANDING SERVICES TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES.