USMC World War II
1st Lieutenant Howard T. Burns MIA/KIA location Marshall Islands, date of loss July 7, 1944
Unit VMF Marine Fighting Squadron 111, Marine Aircraft Group 31, 4th Marine Base Defense Air Wing, FMF
Hometown: Wauna, Oregon
Father, Mr. Patrick H. Burns
Service# O-023822
Awards: World War II Victory Medal, Air Medal, Purple Heart
Details of career here.
At the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, VMF-111 pilots were flying the Grumman F4F Wildcat. On 10 March 1942, the squadron arrived at Tafuna Airfield on Tutuila island, its new base of operations. They were the first Marine squadron to operate in Samoa and eventually were relocated to Faleolo Airfield on Upolu Island after SeeBees completed Feleolo Airfield in July 1942. They spent the next year as part of the Samoa Defense Garrison Area and finally transitioned to the Vought F4U Corsair in early 1943. The squadron remained in Samoa until 1944, serving as a replacement pool for other squadrons engaged in the Solomon Islands Campaign.
VMF-111 left Samoa in January 1944 for the Central Pacific and participated in raids against bypassed Japanese garrisons for the rest of the war. It was during this time that the squadron, under the command of Major William E. Classen, made the first experimental bombing run with F4U Corsairs when eight of their aircraft struck heavy anti-aircraft positions on Mili Atoll with thousand pound bombs.
He has another cenotaph here.
1st Lieutenant Howard T. Burns MIA/KIA location Marshall Islands, date of loss July 7, 1944
Unit VMF Marine Fighting Squadron 111, Marine Aircraft Group 31, 4th Marine Base Defense Air Wing, FMF
Hometown: Wauna, Oregon
Father, Mr. Patrick H. Burns
Service# O-023822
Awards: World War II Victory Medal, Air Medal, Purple Heart
Details of career here.
At the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, VMF-111 pilots were flying the Grumman F4F Wildcat. On 10 March 1942, the squadron arrived at Tafuna Airfield on Tutuila island, its new base of operations. They were the first Marine squadron to operate in Samoa and eventually were relocated to Faleolo Airfield on Upolu Island after SeeBees completed Feleolo Airfield in July 1942. They spent the next year as part of the Samoa Defense Garrison Area and finally transitioned to the Vought F4U Corsair in early 1943. The squadron remained in Samoa until 1944, serving as a replacement pool for other squadrons engaged in the Solomon Islands Campaign.
VMF-111 left Samoa in January 1944 for the Central Pacific and participated in raids against bypassed Japanese garrisons for the rest of the war. It was during this time that the squadron, under the command of Major William E. Classen, made the first experimental bombing run with F4U Corsairs when eight of their aircraft struck heavy anti-aircraft positions on Mili Atoll with thousand pound bombs.
He has another cenotaph here.
USMC World War II
1st Lieutenant Howard T. Burns MIA/KIA location Marshall Islands, date of loss July 7, 1944
Unit VMF Marine Fighting Squadron 111, Marine Aircraft Group 31, 4th Marine Base Defense Air Wing, FMF
Hometown: Wauna, Oregon
Father, Mr. Patrick H. Burns
Service# O-023822
Awards: World War II Victory Medal, Air Medal, Purple Heart
Details of career here.
At the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, VMF-111 pilots were flying the Grumman F4F Wildcat. On 10 March 1942, the squadron arrived at Tafuna Airfield on Tutuila island, its new base of operations. They were the first Marine squadron to operate in Samoa and eventually were relocated to Faleolo Airfield on Upolu Island after SeeBees completed Feleolo Airfield in July 1942. They spent the next year as part of the Samoa Defense Garrison Area and finally transitioned to the Vought F4U Corsair in early 1943. The squadron remained in Samoa until 1944, serving as a replacement pool for other squadrons engaged in the Solomon Islands Campaign.
VMF-111 left Samoa in January 1944 for the Central Pacific and participated in raids against bypassed Japanese garrisons for the rest of the war. It was during this time that the squadron, under the command of Major William E. Classen, made the first experimental bombing run with F4U Corsairs when eight of their aircraft struck heavy anti-aircraft positions on Mili Atoll with thousand pound bombs.
He has another cenotaph here.
1st Lieutenant Howard T. Burns MIA/KIA location Marshall Islands, date of loss July 7, 1944
Unit VMF Marine Fighting Squadron 111, Marine Aircraft Group 31, 4th Marine Base Defense Air Wing, FMF
Hometown: Wauna, Oregon
Father, Mr. Patrick H. Burns
Service# O-023822
Awards: World War II Victory Medal, Air Medal, Purple Heart
Details of career here.
At the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, VMF-111 pilots were flying the Grumman F4F Wildcat. On 10 March 1942, the squadron arrived at Tafuna Airfield on Tutuila island, its new base of operations. They were the first Marine squadron to operate in Samoa and eventually were relocated to Faleolo Airfield on Upolu Island after SeeBees completed Feleolo Airfield in July 1942. They spent the next year as part of the Samoa Defense Garrison Area and finally transitioned to the Vought F4U Corsair in early 1943. The squadron remained in Samoa until 1944, serving as a replacement pool for other squadrons engaged in the Solomon Islands Campaign.
VMF-111 left Samoa in January 1944 for the Central Pacific and participated in raids against bypassed Japanese garrisons for the rest of the war. It was during this time that the squadron, under the command of Major William E. Classen, made the first experimental bombing run with F4U Corsairs when eight of their aircraft struck heavy anti-aircraft positions on Mili Atoll with thousand pound bombs.
He has another cenotaph here.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Oregon.
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