Frank B. Baldwin

WWII Ace US Marine Pilot
Years of service1942-1950RankMajor[1]UnitMarine Fighting Squadron 221CommandsCommander South PacificAwards
  • Congressional Gold Medal
  • Distinguished Flying Cross
  • 6 Air Medals
  • Purple Heart
  • Navy Cross
Spouse(s)Margaret "Reb" [1]Relations4 children

Mjr Frank Bernard Baldwin (February 20, 1920 – April 17, 2004) from Pittsburg, Michigan was a United States Marine Corps World War II Ace pilot who shot down 10 enemy aircraft in combat.[2] He was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.[3]

Career

F4U Corsair: The type of plane that Baldwin was flying when he earned his Distinguished Cross Medal escorting B-25 bombers.

Baldwin enlisted in 1942 and flew he flew in over 186 missions in the Pacific Theatre of World War II.[4] In one reconnaissance mission over Kyushu April 6, 1944, Baldwin shot down four Japanese enemy aircraft.[5]

Awards

  • 6 Air Medals
  • Congressional Gold Medal (2015)[6]
  • Distinguished Flying Cross[N 1]
  • Purple Heart
  • Navy Cross
  • United States Marine corps Hall of Fame[4]

Death

In 2004 Baldwin died in Hospice after struggling with cancer for several years.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Frank B. "Yank" Baldwin". Legacy. Legacy. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  2. ^ "World War II (WWII) era photograph of US Marine Corps (USMC) First Lieutenant (1LT) Frank B. Baldwin, taken at Russell Islands July 3, 1943 as he sits in the cockpit of a USMC F4U"CORSAIR"aircraft. 1LT Baldwin is an Ace Pilot credited with 10 kills". picryl. Get Archive. 3 July 1943. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Frank Bernard Baldwin". The Wall of Valor Project. The Wall of Valor Project. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Biography of Frank B. Baldwin". Ohiolink.edu. Ohio Link. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  5. ^ Moore, Stephen L. (2020). Rain of Steel. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. p. 58. ISBN 9781682475263. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  6. ^ 113th Congress. "H.R.685 - American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act". Congress.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Further reading

  • Hammel, Eric (2010) [1992]. Aces Against Japan. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 9781890988081.
  • Hammel, Eric (1998). Aces in Combat: The American Aces Speak. Vol. 5. Pacifica, California: Pacifica Military History. ISBN 0935553614.

Notes

  1. ^ His Distinguished Flying cross citation cites his bravery in leading a mission escorting B-25 bombers to bomb Buka and Bonis airfields. The bombers destroyed 21 of the 25 aircraft on the ground. Baldwin flew his aircraft through flak and managed to shoot down an enemy Japanese plane. The mission also succeeded in destroying two enemy ships, and 2 barges.[3]