World War II Honoree

John Joseph Pudil

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. He served in the United States Marine Corps as an aircrew member, assigned to the Marine Bombing Squadron-233, VMTB-233 AKA: Bulldogs, MAG-11 and First Marine Air Wing. His unit was based at Munda Point Airfield on New Georgia Island Location: Central Solomon Islands, Pacific Theater of Operations. Reported missing in action or buried at sea February 14, 1944, while performing a night-time combat mission in a Grumman Avenger TBF-1 Torpedo Bomber was shot down by Imperial Japanese Anti-Aircraft ground-fire. His aircraft with one U.S. Naval aerial parachute-mine in the bomb-rack destined to be dropped in the Rabaul Simpson Harbor, New Britain Island. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Location: Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippine Islands. In his Memory and Honor, a cenotaph memorial has been placed at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota. Later his missing in action status ultimately, to read killed in action February 15, 1945. This American Patriot received the following decorations posthumously: Air Medal and the Purple Heart. The Air Medal was awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight, and the Purple Heart for his ultimate sacrifice.