William Richard Winn, Jr., was the son of William Richard Winn, Sr., and Mary Lucille Stevens. He attended Little Rock, Arkansas public schools, Little Rock Junior College and the University of Arkansas. He also attended and graduated from the Georgia Military Academy.
Winn entered the U.S. Navy on 3/11/1942 and received his basic training at New Orleans, Louisiana, Pensacola and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and attended Carrier Qualification Training School at San Diego, California, qualifying as a Naval Aviator in aircraft heavier than a torpedo bomber. Assigned to Torpedo Bomber Squadron 21, he departed the United States on 3/30/1943 for Guadalcanal in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Winn participated in the Battle of Munda, the first torpedo attack on Kahili Harbor, Bougainville Island and the Battle of Vella Gulf.
On 7/20/1943, Winn's torpedo bomber failed to return from an attack on surface craft at Vella Gulf and he was declared as being Missing in Action (MIA).
Winn earned an Air Medal for actions on 7/17/1943, three days before he went MIA. On the 17th, Winn and his squadron of bombers carried out a hazardous daylight strike on Japanese war ships at Kahili Harbor. He pressed the attack in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire and Japanese fighter aircraft opposition. His efforts contributed greatly to the destruction of seven enemy ships to include a direct hit on a Japanese destroyer. His friend Ensign Jack E. Northington, also from Little Rock, Arkansas, also earned the Air Medal for this same action. He was survived by his parents and his wife, Harriet Kilene Davies. Winn's younger brother, Harry Benton Winn, also served in the Pacific Theater as a sergeant in the Army Air Corps. he survived the war and returned home to Little Rock.
Ensign William Richard Winn, Jr., Sn# 0-156930 earned the following decorations for his service to our great Nation During World War II:
- Navy Pilot's Wings
- Purple Heart Medal (posthumously)
- Air Medal Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one battle star
- World War II Victory Medal
Winn entered the U.S. Navy on 3/11/1942 and received his basic training at New Orleans, Louisiana, Pensacola and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and attended Carrier Qualification Training School at San Diego, California, qualifying as a Naval Aviator in aircraft heavier than a torpedo bomber. Assigned to Torpedo Bomber Squadron 21, he departed the United States on 3/30/1943 for Guadalcanal in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Winn participated in the Battle of Munda, the first torpedo attack on Kahili Harbor, Bougainville Island and the Battle of Vella Gulf.
On 7/20/1943, Winn's torpedo bomber failed to return from an attack on surface craft at Vella Gulf and he was declared as being Missing in Action (MIA).
Winn earned an Air Medal for actions on 7/17/1943, three days before he went MIA. On the 17th, Winn and his squadron of bombers carried out a hazardous daylight strike on Japanese war ships at Kahili Harbor. He pressed the attack in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire and Japanese fighter aircraft opposition. His efforts contributed greatly to the destruction of seven enemy ships to include a direct hit on a Japanese destroyer. His friend Ensign Jack E. Northington, also from Little Rock, Arkansas, also earned the Air Medal for this same action. He was survived by his parents and his wife, Harriet Kilene Davies. Winn's younger brother, Harry Benton Winn, also served in the Pacific Theater as a sergeant in the Army Air Corps. he survived the war and returned home to Little Rock.
Ensign William Richard Winn, Jr., Sn# 0-156930 earned the following decorations for his service to our great Nation During World War II:
- Navy Pilot's Wings
- Purple Heart Medal (posthumously)
- Air Medal Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one battle star
- World War II Victory Medal
William Richard Winn, Jr., was the son of William Richard Winn, Sr., and Mary Lucille Stevens. He attended Little Rock, Arkansas public schools, Little Rock Junior College and the University of Arkansas. He also attended and graduated from the Georgia Military Academy.
Winn entered the U.S. Navy on 3/11/1942 and received his basic training at New Orleans, Louisiana, Pensacola and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and attended Carrier Qualification Training School at San Diego, California, qualifying as a Naval Aviator in aircraft heavier than a torpedo bomber. Assigned to Torpedo Bomber Squadron 21, he departed the United States on 3/30/1943 for Guadalcanal in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Winn participated in the Battle of Munda, the first torpedo attack on Kahili Harbor, Bougainville Island and the Battle of Vella Gulf.
On 7/20/1943, Winn's torpedo bomber failed to return from an attack on surface craft at Vella Gulf and he was declared as being Missing in Action (MIA).
Winn earned an Air Medal for actions on 7/17/1943, three days before he went MIA. On the 17th, Winn and his squadron of bombers carried out a hazardous daylight strike on Japanese war ships at Kahili Harbor. He pressed the attack in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire and Japanese fighter aircraft opposition. His efforts contributed greatly to the destruction of seven enemy ships to include a direct hit on a Japanese destroyer. His friend Ensign Jack E. Northington, also from Little Rock, Arkansas, also earned the Air Medal for this same action. He was survived by his parents and his wife, Harriet Kilene Davies. Winn's younger brother, Harry Benton Winn, also served in the Pacific Theater as a sergeant in the Army Air Corps. he survived the war and returned home to Little Rock.
Ensign William Richard Winn, Jr., Sn# 0-156930 earned the following decorations for his service to our great Nation During World War II:
- Navy Pilot's Wings
- Purple Heart Medal (posthumously)
- Air Medal Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one battle star
- World War II Victory Medal
Winn entered the U.S. Navy on 3/11/1942 and received his basic training at New Orleans, Louisiana, Pensacola and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and attended Carrier Qualification Training School at San Diego, California, qualifying as a Naval Aviator in aircraft heavier than a torpedo bomber. Assigned to Torpedo Bomber Squadron 21, he departed the United States on 3/30/1943 for Guadalcanal in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Winn participated in the Battle of Munda, the first torpedo attack on Kahili Harbor, Bougainville Island and the Battle of Vella Gulf.
On 7/20/1943, Winn's torpedo bomber failed to return from an attack on surface craft at Vella Gulf and he was declared as being Missing in Action (MIA).
Winn earned an Air Medal for actions on 7/17/1943, three days before he went MIA. On the 17th, Winn and his squadron of bombers carried out a hazardous daylight strike on Japanese war ships at Kahili Harbor. He pressed the attack in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire and Japanese fighter aircraft opposition. His efforts contributed greatly to the destruction of seven enemy ships to include a direct hit on a Japanese destroyer. His friend Ensign Jack E. Northington, also from Little Rock, Arkansas, also earned the Air Medal for this same action. He was survived by his parents and his wife, Harriet Kilene Davies. Winn's younger brother, Harry Benton Winn, also served in the Pacific Theater as a sergeant in the Army Air Corps. he survived the war and returned home to Little Rock.
Ensign William Richard Winn, Jr., Sn# 0-156930 earned the following decorations for his service to our great Nation During World War II:
- Navy Pilot's Wings
- Purple Heart Medal (posthumously)
- Air Medal Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one battle star
- World War II Victory Medal
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Arkansas.
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