World War II Honoree

Paul Alexander Frank

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Marshalltown, Iowa

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: First Lieutenant. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps July 1, 1943 at Marshalltown, Iowa. Upon his graduation from boot camp, he was designated to attend the Marine Corps Aviation Flight Training Program. After completing his Cadet Flight training phases, he received his Commission as a Marine Aviator. He served as a Pilot in the PBJ-1 Bomber, and based at the Moret Airfield, Zamboanga Mindanao Island, Philippines Location: Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations. Assigned to the Marine Bomber Squadron Six-Eleven ‘VMB-611’, Marine Air Group-Thirty Two, First Marine Aircraft Wing. During his participation in the Battle of Mindanao, he was killed in action Wednesday, May 2, 1945 when his bomber was shot-down by Japanese Anti-Aircraft ground fire. The aircraft with eight crewmembers on board crashed in the vicinity of Davao City, Mindanao Island. At the conclusion of the battle, his Brothers-in-Arms buried him near the crash site. In the post-war era, personnel from a Graves Registration Company disinterred his remains, and were laid to rest in the United States Armed Forces Cemetery Location: Leyte #1, Philippine Islands. This Marines’ family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Lemay, Missouri with interment November 7, 1949. This American Patriot received the following decorations posthumously: Air Medal and the Purple Heart. The Air Medal was awarded to the Lieutenant for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight, and the Purple Heart for his ultimate sacrifice.