World War II Honoree

James W. Greene, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Worcester, Massachusetts

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Sergeant. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps July 16, 1942 at Springfield, Massachusetts, with recruit training assigned to the Sixth Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base Parris Island, South Carolina. Following basic training, he was designated to attend the Marine Corps Aviation Flight Training Program. After completing airborne Gunnery Training, he served as a Gunner with Marine Bombing Squadron-233, VMTB-233 AKA: Bulldogs, MAG-11 and First Marine Air Wing. His unit was based at Piva Uncle Airfield, Bougainville Island Location: North Solomon Islands, Pacific Theater of Operations. Reporting missing in action lost at sea during a night-time combat mission February 14, 1944, while aboard a Grumman Avenger TBF-1 Torpedo Bomber, destination Rabaul, New Britain Island. The Bomber loaded with one U.S. Naval aerial parachute-mine in the bomb-rack destined to be dropped in the Rabaul Simpson Harbor was shot down by Imperial Japanese Anti-Aircraft ground-fire. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Location: Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippine Islands. 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.