World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. Born in Plymouth, New Hampshire, enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1939. He served as a Captain in the 19th Bomb Group, U.S. Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theater. During a bombing mission over New Guinea on August 5, 1942 one of the engines on his B-17 bomber failed, forcing him to return to an Australian base. There, he selected an aircraft deemed unready for combat missions, but air worthy. Leaving early in the morning, he flew throughout the day, and rejoined his squadron at Port Moresby, New Guinea. On August 07, 1942, the squadron took off for an attack on a Japanese held airfield near Rabaul, New Britain. The squadron was attacked by about thirty enemy aircraft before reaching their target. He being on the wing of the squadron was able to shoot down several Zeroes and managed to drop his bomb load on the hostile base. His plane was damaged in the attack and fell behind the squadron. The enemy succeeded in igniting one of his bomb bay tanks which he jettisoned, but it was believed that he and his crew were eventually shot down, as they did not return to the home base. In September 1942, a Roman Catholic Priest, Father George Lepping was taken as a prisoner to a Japanese camp near Rabaul. He reported that he found Captain Pease and one his crewmen at the prison camp. Father Lepping reported that Captain Pease, three Americans and two Australian prisoners were taken into the jungle, were forced to dig their own graves and executed by the sword. On December 2, 1942, the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Flying Cross with an Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Air Medal was posthumously awarded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Mr. and Mrs. Harl Pease Sr.
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. Born in Plymouth, New Hampshire, enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1939. He served as a Captain in the 19th Bomb Group, U.S. Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theater. During a bombing mission over New Guinea on August 5, 1942 one of the engines on his B-17 bomber failed, forcing him to return to an Australian base. There, he selected an aircraft deemed unready for combat missions, but air worthy. Leaving early in the morning, he flew throughout the day, and rejoined his squadron at Port Moresby, New Guinea. On August 07, 1942, the squadron took off for an attack on a Japanese held airfield near Rabaul, New Britain. The squadron was attacked by about thirty enemy aircraft before reaching their target. He being on the wing of the squadron was able to shoot down several Zeroes and managed to drop his bomb load on the hostile base. His plane was damaged in the attack and fell behind the squadron. The enemy succeeded in igniting one of his bomb bay tanks which he jettisoned, but it was believed that he and his crew were eventually shot down, as they did not return to the home base. In September 1942, a Roman Catholic Priest, Father George Lepping was taken as a prisoner to a Japanese camp near Rabaul. He reported that he found Captain Pease and one his crewmen at the prison camp. Father Lepping reported that Captain Pease, three Americans and two Australian prisoners were taken into the jungle, were forced to dig their own graves and executed by the sword. On December 2, 1942, the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Flying Cross with an Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Air Medal was posthumously awarded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Mr. and Mrs. Harl Pease Sr.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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