World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Charles Laurence Crommelin
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Hometown
Montgomery, Alabama
Honored By
Pearl Thomas
He was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. A Naval Aviator who flew F6F Hellcat fighter planes in the Pacific. Early in the war, he survived a crash landing test flying an aircraft. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for action over the Japanese-held Marcus Island in August 1943. Flying off the USS Randolph (CV-15), he commanded Carrier Air Group 12, known as "Crommelin's Thunderbirds", which engaged in the first carrier air strikes against Japan. He was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism while leading a February 1945 attack near Tokyo. During a mission while on temporary duty with the USS Hornet (CV-8), his plane went missing over the sea near Okinawa on March 28, 1945, and he was declared killed in action.