World War II Honoree

Brooks Chapman Young

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Petersburg, Virginia

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: First Lieutenant. He served as a United States Marine Corps Aviator, who flew the SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber in the Southwestern Pacific Theater of Operations. Assigned to Marine Bombing Squadron-144, VMSB-144, Marine Air Group-12, an element of the Marine Second Air Wing. His unit was based at Henderson Airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. He died Saturday, February 20, 1943 when he crashed landed, while on his final approach to Henderson Field. Personnel from a Graves Registration Company buried him in a Marine battlefield cemetery on Guadalcanal. In the post-war era, this Marines’ family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at the Arlington National Cemetery, with interment January 17, 1949 Location: Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia. 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 Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.