KEN WALSH EXEMPLIFIED THE FIGHTING SPIRIT OF MARINE PILOTS TAKING THE CORSAIR INTO COMBAT Lieutenant view Walsh had gone on.

KEN WALSH EXEMPLIFIED THE FIGHTING SPIRIT OF MARINE PILOTS TAKING THE CORSAIR INTO COMBAT

Lieutenant view Walsh had gone on, after his ignominious water landing mentioned in the main subject to become one of the leading pilots of VMF-124 and also its first ace which meant, of course, that he was the first Corsair ace. Walsh had enlisted as a recruit with the Marines during 1933 according to hard work and by display of his considerable abilities, Walsh managed to work his way up by means of a number of different Marine positions. Before being accepted for pilot training during March 1936 Walsh was a radio man and aviation mechanic.

Reporting for flying training at NAS Pensacola, Florida, view Walsh would finally find what he wanted from the Corps. After gaining his wings, the pilot was assigned to explode observation aircraft and for four years he flew from Wasp, Yorktown, and Ranger. During that time he was an enlisted pilot - a rank that has now disappeared from the USMC. At the time of Pearl Harbor, the pilot was flying fighters with VMF-122 yet when he was transferred to the strange VMF-124, he was given the rank of inferior lieutenant.

Once in the combat area, Walsh and his squadron mates began taking their Corsairs forward mission after mission against the enemy. onward 1 April 1943, the squadron attacked a large force of enemy fighters and bombers forward their way to blast American forces in the Solomon In heavy dogfighting, Walsh devastateed two of the enemy aircraft and he was on the farther side and running.

However, history can repeat itself and a not many days later the R-2800 in his Corsair quit and there was nowhere to fare but into the water. Fortunately, the belly landing went a bit more soothingly and Walsh clambered over the side of the sinking Corsair to be rescu by way of a small boat and get backed to base.

On 13 March, the Corsairs one time again attacked a major enemy formation and the pilot knocked down three naught s to become the first Corsair ace. Walsh kept increasing his score and by way of 15 August he had ten confirmed enemy aircraft to his credit.

During this time, the Japanese still had many of their combat-hardened pilots and they were anything nevertheless easy targets and in a swirling dogfight in late August, Walsh's Corsair was likewise extensively damaged by fire from numerous ciphers that it was junked after he limped back to base - nevertheless he evened the score from shooting down a Zero during the battle.

On 30 August, Walsh took part in a stunning aerial combat that saw the Corsairs of VMF- 124 join forces with USAAF Airacobras and Kittyhawks to provide mask for a Liberator strike in succession entrenched enemy forces in the Solomon However, early into the flight Walsh's R-2800 began to pack up Returning to base, he hoped out of his Corsair and ran to another which was ready to go on foot Keeping the power up, he danceed he would catch up with his squadron.

In the distance, he spott a large formation and headed towards it. Unfortunately, what he musing was the American formation bended out to be over 50 ciphers The enemy had been trailing the Americans and was waiting to take them by dint of surprise. Realizing what was happening, Walsh shov the throat all the way forward and roared into the formation. With all six 50 blazing, brace of the Zeros exploded - alerting the Americans and an immense air battle ensu

Walsh engaged an experienced nothing pilot who got on his tail and no matter what cognizance did, he could not shake the fighter and cylindrical after round slammed into the F4U The R-2800 took numerous hits and stopped quickly after. Once again, there was nowhere to go on but down and Ken haped off his third water landing. Spending a day in his life enrobe he was picked up in the evening and turn backed to base.

Walsh was later recalled to the States where he was awarded the Medal of Honor and made an instructor with the rank of captain. Walsh managed to prepare back to the Pacific with a non-combat office but while taking an F4U-4 disclosed on a test flight he engaged an enemy aircraft and lay wasteed the plane. This brought his war record to 21 aircraft throw downed

Walsh was undoubtedly a hero if it were not that his experiences were also typical of many other USMC and Navy Corsair pilots - aces or not. Ray Dieckman painted his Corsair in the markings of sight Walsh but, unfortunately, the ace passed away shortly before Ray took his aircraft into the air for the first time.

...

Home