World War II Honoree

Donald Burns Moore

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Indianapolis, Indiana

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 1ST LIEUTENANT. SERVED AS A MARINE CORPS FIGHTER PILOT, WHO FLEW THE F4U-1A CORSAIR FIGHTER-BOMBER. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON-TWENTY FOUR, MARINE AIR GROUP-TWENTY FOUR, FOURTH MARINE AIR BASE DEFENSE AIRCRAFT WING STATIONED AT THE MARINE CORPS AIR STATION EWA, OAHU, HAWAII. HE WAS LATER TRANSFERRED TO THE MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON TWO-FIFTEEN ‘VMF-215’ MARINE AIR GROUP-TWELVE, FOURTH MARINE AIR WING STATIONED AT ESPIRITU SANTO, PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. REPORTED AS MISSING IN ACTION, LOST AT SEA MONDAY, JULY 26, 1943 DURING A FIGHTER SWEEP AGAINST JAPANESE BASES IN THE NORTHERN SOLOMON ISLANDS. HE IS MEMORIALIZED IN THE TABLETS OF THE MISSING, MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL LOCATED AT FORT BONIFACIO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: PURPLE HEART, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND HIS GOLD PILOT WINGS. THE LIEUTENANT, AN AMERICAN PATRIOT, WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART (POSTHUMOUSLY) FOR HIS SUPREME SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.