Robert M. Hanson

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Robert Murray Hanson
February 4, 1920 – February 3, 1944
Robert M. Hanson, Medal of Honor recipient World War II flying ace
Place of birth	Lucknow, India
Place of death	KIA over Rabaul, New Britain
Allegiance	USMC
Years of service	1942–1944
Rank	First Lieutenant
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Medal of Honor Navy Cross Air Medal Purple Heart

First Lieutenant Robert Murray Hanson (1920-1944) was a Marine Corps aviator who shot down 25 Japanese planes from the South Pacific skies. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Contents 1 World War II flying ace 2 Early years 3 Marine Corps 4 Medal of Honor citation 5 References

[edit] 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 torpedo bombers, 1 November 1943, over Bougainville Island, and for bringing down four Zeros, the premier Japanese fighter, while fighting them alone over New Britain, 24 January 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 3 February 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, 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.

[edit] Early years

Robert M. Hanson was the son of Methodist missionaries 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.

[edit] 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 anschluss. 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 19 February 1943 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Medal of Honor was presented to the lieutenant's mother by MajGen Lewie G. Merritt on 19 August 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts.

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States 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. Undetered 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

[edit] References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.

• First Lieutenant Robert M. Hanson, USMCR, Who's Who in Marine Corps History, History Division, United States Marine Corps.
• Medal of Honor citation