Robert M. Hanson

Lieutenant Hanson, a Marine Corps aviator Ace, was the son of Methodist missionaries, growing up mostly in the western Himalayas of India. Handling his plane superbly in both pursuit and attack, he was a master of individual air combat, accounting for downing a total of 25 Japanese aircraft in the Pacific Theater of war. Attached to Marine Fighting Squadron VMF-214 and 215 in action at Bougainville Islands, November 1, 1943, and New Britain Island, January 24, 1944, flying cover for landing operations at Empress Augusta Bay, he attacked 6 enemy torpedo bombers, forcing them to jettison their bombs and destroying one Japanese plane during the action. On January 24, 1944, cut off from his division while deep in enemy territory during a high cover flight over Simpson Harbor, 1st Lt. Hanson waged a lone battle against interceptors as they were orbiting to attack our bombers. He brought down 4 Zeros and probably a fifth.