World War II Honoree

Henry B. Hamilton

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

San Diego, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: WARRANT OFFICER. HE WAS A UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS F4F WILDCAT FIGHTER/BOMBER ENLISTED PILOT, WHO EXPERIENCED COMBAT IN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS, AND CREDITED WITH SEVEN AERIAL VICTORIES, ACHIEVING THE ‘ACE STATUS’. THIS MARINE AVIATOR WAS ASSIGNED TO THE MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON, TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-THREE ‘VMF-223’ NICKNAMED: ‘BULLDOGS’, MARINE AIR GROUP-FOURTEEN, SECOND MARINE AIRCRAFT WING. HIS SQUADRON WAS BASED AT THE MARINE CORPS HENDERSON AIRFIELD, GUADALCANAL. ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1942 HIS FIGHTER WAS SHOT DOWN DURING A COMBAT ENGAGEMENT WITH JAPANESE AIRCRAFT OVER GUADALCANAL, SOLOMON ISLANDS CAMPAIGN. REPORTED AS MISSING IN ACTION, LOST AT SEA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1945 AND HE IS MEMORIALIZED IN THE TABLETS OF THE MISSING AT THE MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL, LOCATED AT FORT BONIFACIO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. HE IS ALSO MEMORIALIZED AT THE GUADALCANAL AMERICAN MEMORIAL LOCATED ON SKYLINE DRIVE OVERLOOKING THE TOWN OF HONIARA, GUADALCANAL. DECORATIONS: NAVY CROSS, DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, PURPLE HEART, COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, MARINE CORPS GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, MARINE CORPS MARINE EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH A BRONZE STAR, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND HIS GOLD PILOT WINGS.