World War II Honoree

William C. Hayter

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Long Beach, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Major. He was inducted into the United States Marine Corps from California. After completing boot camp, he was accepted into the Flight Aviation Training program. Served as a Pilot in the Grumman TBF-1 Avenger Torpedo Bomber, assigned to the Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron-131, VMSB-131 AKA: Diamondbacks, Marine Air Group-11; First Marine Air Wing. His unit was based at the Henderson Airfield, on the island of Guadalcanal in the South-Western Pacific Theater of Operations. Reported missing in action, lost at sea Wednesday, April 7, 1943 during a bombing raid on the Japanese Kahili Airfield on Bougainville, Solomon Islands. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the American Cemetery at Fort William-McKinley in Manila, Philippine Islands. Later his missing in action status was amended to read killed in action April 9, 1945. This American Patriot received the following decorations posthumously: Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart. The Distinguished Flying Cross awarded for Heroism or Extraordinary Achievement while participating in aerial flight. The Purple Heart was awarded for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.