World War II Honoree

Kenneth Ambrose Walsh

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Brooklyn, New York

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. FIRST LIEUTENANT, PILOT IN MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON 124, U.S. MARINE CORPS. PLACE AND DATE: SOLOMON ISLANDS AREA, AUGUST 15-30, 1943. ENTERED AT NEW YORK. AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS WITH 5 GOLD STARS. CITATION: FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AND INTREPIDITY ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AS A PILOT IN MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON 124 IN AERIAL COMBAT AGAINST ENEMY JAPANESE FORCES IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS AREA. DETERMINED TO THWART THE ENEMY'S ATTEMPT TO BOMB ALLIED GROUND FORCES AND SHIPPING AT VELLA LAVELLA ON AUGUST 15, 1943, HE REPEATEDLY DOVE HIS PLANE INTO AN ENEMY FORMATION OUTNUMBERING HIS OWN DIVISION 6 TO 1 AND, ALTHOUGH HIS PLANE WAS HIT NUMEROUS TIMES, SHOT DOWN 2 JAPANESE DIVE BOMBERS AND 1 FIGHTER. AFTER DEVELOPING ENGINE TROUBLE ON AUGUST 30, 1943 DURING A VITAL ESCORT MISSION, HE LANDED HIS MECHANICALLY DISABLED PLANE AT MUNDA, QUICKLY REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER AND PROCEEDED TO REJOIN HIS FLIGHT. SEPARATED FROM HIS ESCORT GROUP WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED APPROXIMATELY 50 JAPANESE ZEROS, HE UNHESITATINGLY ATTACKED, STRIKING WITH RELENTLESS FURY IN HIS LONE BATTLE AGAINST A POWERFUL FORCE. HE DESTROYED 4 HOSTILE FIGHTERS BEFORE CANNON SHELLFIRE FORCED HIM TO MAKE A DEAD STICK LANDING OFF VELLA LAVELLA WHERE HE WAS LATER PICKED UP.