Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until December 10, 1945.

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Son of Mr. & Mrs. Francis Lester Ward who resided in Placerville, California.

Oscar served as a Aviation Pilot First Class on a PB4Y-1 Liberator, U.S. Navy during World War II.

He resided in California prior to the war.

Oscar was part of a bombing mission that included 9 PB4Y-1 Liberator's, 10 P-38 Lightnings, and twelve F4U Corsairs.

The 9 PB4Y-1 Liberator's, that were part of VB-101, took off from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal on a mission to bomb shipping in the Buin-Shortland area. The bombers scored several hits on enemy cargo ships including the Hitachi Maru and near misses on two others including Kisaragi Maru.

The entire group was attacked by 30 Japanese A6M Zeros & about 15 A6M2-N Rufes floatplanes. Two of the 9 PB4Y-1 Liberator's, 4 P-38G's, and 2 F4U-1 Corsair's were lost in this mission.

Oscar was declared "Missing In Action" in this mission during the war.

He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross" and the Purple Heart.

Service # 3759133

The PB4Y-1 Liberator was the Navy's version of the Army Air Force B-24.

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This mission became known as the "Saint Valentines Day Massacre" since a total of 26 Navy and Air Force servicemen were lost.

Crew of Oscar's PB4Y-1 Liberator:

Atkins, Frank E ~ AOM2c, SC
Bacon, Jay D, Jr Lt., Pilot, CA
Barber, William ~ ARM2c, CA
Betz, Frank L, Jr ~ ARM1, TX
Henderson, Jessie L ~ AMM1, AL
Kolazyk, Edmund J ~ Ens, NH
North, Norman L ~ AMM2c, FL
Walker, John M ~ AMM2c, GA
Ward, Oscar K ~ AP1C, CA
Wells, Roy R ~ AMM3c, TX
Zattera, Joseph H ~ AOM3c, CA

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For the crew of the other PB4Y-1 Liberator see:

Cooper, Stuart T ~ Lt, Pilot, RI

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The four P-38G planes lost included:

Finkenstein, Joseph ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
White, Donald G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, KS

The two other P-38G's were lost however both the Pilots survived.

Pilot John R. Mulvey, Jr. was rescued and Pilot 2nd Lt. Wellman Howard Huey became a POW of the Japanese.

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The 2 F4U-1 Corsair's lost included:

Lyon, Gordon L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, MS
Stewart, Harold R ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, AZ

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Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett

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