World War II Honoree

George Dewey Herbst, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Pottstown, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: SERGEANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS OCTOBER 30, 1942 AND PARTICIPATED IN BASIC COMBAT TRAINING AT THE MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA. AFTER BOOT CAMP, HE WAS DESIGNATED TO ATTEND THE MARINE AVIATION FLIGHT TRAINING PROGRAM, WHERE HE RECEIVED GUNNERY TRAINING. SERVED AS AN AERIAL GUNNER ON THE MARINE PBJ-1 BOMBER (A VARIANT OF THE MITCHELL B-25 BOMBER) IN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. THIS AVIATOR EXPERIENCED COMBAT, WHILE ASSIGNED TO THE MARINE BOMBING SQUADRON FOUR-THIRTEEN ‘VMB-413’, NICKNAMED ‘THE FLYING NIGHTMARES’, MARINE AIR GROUP-SIXTY ONE, THIRD MARINE AIRCRAFT WING. HIS SQUADRON WAS BASED AT ESPIRITU SANTO, LOCATED IN THE NATION OF VANUATU. ON FRIDAY, MAY 5, 1944 HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION WHEN HIS BOMBER WAS SHOT DOWN BY ENEMY ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE WHILE FLYING A BOMBING MISSION AGAINST THE JAPANESE TOBERA AIRDROME NEAR RABAUL, NEW BRITAIN. ALL CREW MEMBERS DIED UPON IMPACT, WHEN THE BOMBER CRASHED NEAR THE AIRFIELD AND WERE BURIED BY THE JAPANESE. IN THE EARLY POSTWAR ERA, HIS REMAINS WERE RECOVERED AND RETURNED TO HIS COUNTRY AND FAMILY WITH MILITARY HONORS. INTERMENT WAS IN THE ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY ON FEBRUARY 21, 1950.