World War II Honoree

Billy C. Hall

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Orange County, California

Honored By

Pearl Thomas

Relationship

A Grateful American

At 15, he joined the Marines, and enlisted shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a radio gunner in a dive bomber squadron where he operated two single 30-caliber machine guns against enemies on the southwestern Pacific island of Guadalcanal. Already skilled in radio and communications, he also taught morse code to soldiers older than himself. By the time he was 17, he had already flown over 150 combat missions on land and sea, shooting down enemy target and launching torpedoes. Received the Air Medal with three stars.