Robert M. Hanson
Encyclopedia
Robert Murray Hanson was a Marine Corps
aviator
who shot down 25 Japanese planes from the South Pacific
skies. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor
.
bombers, November 1, 1943, over Bougainville Island, and for bringing down four Zeros
, the premier Japanese fighter, while fighting them alone over New Britain
, January 24, 1944.
First Lieutenant Hanson arrived in the South Pacific in June 1943 and his daring tactics and total disregard for death soon became well known. His fatal crash occurred one day before his twenty-fourth birthday. Last seen February 3, 1944, when his plane crashed into the sea while he was flying an escort mission over Rabaul
, New Britain, he was subsequently declared killed in action
.
A member of VMF-215
flying the F4U Corsair
, the ace was shot down only once before his final flight, when a Zero caught him over Bougainville Island
. Bringing his plane down on the ocean, he paddled for six hours in a rubber life raft before being rescued by a destroyer
.
who were in India at the time of his birth. In Lucknow, India, his playmates were Hindu children. After attending junior high school in the United States, he returned to India to become light-heavyweight and heavy-weight wrestling champion of the United Provinces.
. Though attending Hamline University
, St. Paul, Minnesota, at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
, he enlisted for naval flight training in May 1942 and earned his wings and a Marine Corps commission as second lieutenant on February 19, 1943 in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The Medal of Honor was presented to the lieutenant's mother by MajGen Lewie G. Merritt on August 19, 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts.
takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to
FIRST LIEUTENANT ROBERT M. HANSON
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
/S/ FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
who shot down 25 Japanese planes from the South Pacific
Pacific Ocean Areas
Pacific Ocean Areas was a major Allied military command in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands during the Pacific War, and one of two United States commands in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz of the U.S...
skies. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
.
World War II flying ace
A master of individual air combat, he downed 20 enemy planes in six consecutive flying days. 1stLt Hanson was commended in the citation accompanying the Medal of Honor for his bold attack against six enemy torpedoTorpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
bombers, November 1, 1943, over Bougainville Island, and for bringing down four Zeros
A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...
, the premier Japanese fighter, while fighting them alone over New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, January 24, 1944.
First Lieutenant Hanson arrived in the South Pacific in June 1943 and his daring tactics and total disregard for death soon became well known. His fatal crash occurred one day before his twenty-fourth birthday. Last seen February 3, 1944, when his plane crashed into the sea while he was flying an escort mission over Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
, New Britain, he was subsequently declared killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
.
A member of VMF-215
VMF-215
Marine Fighting Squadron 215 was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was activated and fought during World War II. Known as "The Fighting Corsairs", they fought in many areas of the Pacific War, including the Battle of Bougainville...
flying the F4U Corsair
F4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
, the ace was shot down only once before his final flight, when a Zero caught him over Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
. Bringing his plane down on the ocean, he paddled for six hours in a rubber life raft before being rescued by a destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
.
Early years
Robert M. Hanson was the son of Methodist missionariesMissionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
who were in India at the time of his birth. In Lucknow, India, his playmates were Hindu children. After attending junior high school in the United States, he returned to India to become light-heavyweight and heavy-weight wrestling champion of the United Provinces.
Marine Corps
In the spring of 1938, on his way back to the United States to attend college, he bicycled his way through Europe and was in Vienna during the anschlussAnschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
. Though attending Hamline University
Hamline University
-Red Wing location :Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline...
, St. Paul, Minnesota, at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, he enlisted for naval flight training in May 1942 and earned his wings and a Marine Corps commission as second lieutenant on February 19, 1943 in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The Medal of Honor was presented to the lieutenant's mother by MajGen Lewie G. Merritt on August 19, 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Medal of Honor citation
The President of the United StatesPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to
FIRST LIEUTENANT ROBERT M. HANSON
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
- For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a fighter pilot attached to Marine Fighting Squadron TWO FIFTEEN in action against Japanese forces at Bougainville Islands, November 1, 1943, and New Britain Island, January 24, 1944. Undeterred by fierce opposition and fearless in the face of overwhelming odds, First Lieutenant Hanson fought the Japanese boldly and with daring aggressiveness. On November 1, while flying cover for our landing operations at Empress Augusta Bay, he dauntlessly attacked six enemy torpedo bombers, forcing them to jettison their bombs and destroying one Japanese plane during the action. Cut off from his division while deep in enemy territory during a high cover flight over Simpson Harbor on January 24, First Lieutenant Hanson waged a lone and gallant battle against hostile interceptors as they were orbiting to attack our bombers and, striking with devastating fury, brought down four Zeros and probably a fifth. Handling his plane superbly in both pursuit and attack measures, he was a master of individual air combat, accounting for a total of 25 Japanese aircraft in this theater of war. His great personal valor and invincible fighting spirit were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
/S/ FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
See also
- United States Marine Corps aviationUnited States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures....
- List of Medal of Honor recipients