World War II Honoree

Vicent W. Halagich

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: PRIVATE 1ST CLASS. HE WAS A UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS SBD-DAUNTLESS SCOUT/DIVE BOMBER AERIAL GUNNER, WHO EXPERIENCED COMBAT IN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. THIS MARINE AVIATOR WAS ASSIGNED TO THE MARINE SCOUT/DIVE BOMBER SQUADRON ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-THREE ‘VMSB-133’ NICKNAMED: ‘FLYING EGGBEATERS’ MARINE AIR GROUP TWENTY-FOUR, FIRST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING. HIS SQUADRON WAS BASED AT THE TITCOMB AIRDROME LOCATED AT MALABANG, MINDANAO PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1945 HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT WAS SHOT DOWN, CRASHING INTO MANILA HARBOR DURING THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. REPORTED AS MISSING IN ACTION, LOST AT SEA WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1946 AND HE IS MEMORIALIZED IN THE TABLETS OF THE MISSING AT THE MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL, LOCATED AT FORT BONIFACIO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. DECORATION AND CITATION: THIS MARINE, AN AMERICAN PATRIOT, WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART FOR HIS ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.