S2E5: Marines over Guadalcanal, WW2: Part 5 - 1st Lt Jefferson DeBlanc, USMC, F4F Wildcat pilot

The Aviation Medals of Honor

In part 5 of 5 in the Guadalcanal series, 1st Lt Jefferson DeBlanc of VMF-112 becomes the first Marine to achieve 5 victories on a single mission. This episode covers DeBlanc's combat experiences from November 1942 through January 1943, his Medal of Honor mission and recovery following his shootdown, as well as the conclusion of the Guadalcanal campaign.

Selected readings:

The Guadalcanal Air War Colonel Jefferson DeBlanc's Story, Jefferson DeBlanc

History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War 2, Robert Sherrod

Wildcat, the F4F in WW2, Barrett Tillman

Time of Aces: Marine Pilots in the Solomons, 1942-1944, Cdr Peter Mersky

Fire in the Sky, The Air War in the South Pacific, Eric Bergerud

Guadalcanal 1942-43: Japan's Bid to Knock Out Henderson Field and the Cactus Air Force, Mark Stille

*Kolombangara is the name of the island I kept fumbling over

I can be reached at [e-mail] Feedback and reviews appreciated! Semper Fi, Kelly "Beavis" Ramshur