World War II Honoree

Harold William Bauer

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Woodruff, Kansas

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. LIEUTENANT COLONEL, U.S. MARINE CORPS. BORN: NOVEMBER 20, 1908 IN WOODRUFF, KANSAS. APPOINTED FROM NEBRASKA. CITATION: 'FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AND CONSPICUOUS COURAGE AS SQUADRON COMMANDER OF MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON 212 IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC AREA DURING THE PERIOD FROM MAY 10 TO NOVEMBER 14, 1942. VOLUNTEERED TO PILOT A FIGHTER PLANE IN DEFENSE OF OUR POSITIONS ON GUADALCANAL. HE PARTICIPATED IN 2 AIR BATTLES AGAINST ENEMY BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS, OUTNUMBERING OUR FORCE MORE THAN 2 TO 1. BOLDLY ENGAGED THE ENEMY AND DESTROYED 1 JAPANESE BOMBER IN THE ENGAGEMENT OF SEPTEMBER 28 AND SHOT DOWN 4 ENEMY FIGHTER PLANES IN FLAMES ON OCTOBER 3, LEAVING A 5TH SMOKING BADLY. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY LEADING 26 PLANES ON AN OVER-WATER FERRY FLIGHT OF MORE THAN 600 MILES ON OCTOBER 16, WHILE CIRCLING TO LAND, SIGHTED A SQUADRON OF ENEMY PLANES ATTACKING THE USS MCFARLAND. UNDAUNTED BY THE FORMIDABLE OPPOSITION AND WITH VALOR ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY, HE ENGAGED THE ENTIRE SQUADRON AND, ALTHOUGH ALONE AND HIS FUEL SUPPLY NEARLY EXHAUSTED, FOUGHT HIS PLANE SO BRILLIANTLY THAT 4 OF THE JAPANESE PLANES WERE DESTROYED BEFORE HE WAS FORCED DOWN BY LACK OF FUEL. HIS INTREPID FIGHTING SPIRIT AND DISTINCTIVE ABILITY AS A LEADER AND AN AIRMAN, EXEMPLIFIED IN HIS SPLENDID RECORD OF COMBAT ACHIEVEMENT, WERE VITAL FACTORS IN THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC AREA.'