Anthony Joseph Maday was the son of Polish immigrants. (I am still researching this heores early life...please be patient. Thanks! - Rick Lawrence)
Anthony enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on January 29, 1942. Shortly after completing boot camp, he was assigned to Marine Air Group 21 and shipped out to Midway Island for duty with squadron VMSB-241. He arrived on Midway on May 24, 1942. Anthony had not had any flight gunnery training and possibly had never flown in a plane. He was soon assigned to be the gunner to Second Lieutenant Kenneth Oscar Campion, who had arrived on May 26th. They were assigned to a Vought SB2U Vindicator with bureau number 2067, but they had only a few days to learn how to fly their plane because on the morning of June 4, 1942, they took off from Midway as Japanese planes turned the base to rubble behind them; Anthony and his squadron flew off to try and find the carrier strike force that was attacking their base.
After nearly ninety minutes in the air, the Americans spotted the carriers – and were in turn spotted by patrolling planes from the carrier HIRYU. The slow dive-bombers, unable to dive properly due to the pilots inexperience, became easy targets for the Japanese pilots.
Lt. Campion flew his Vindicator into an attack on a Japanese battleship. He and Anthony survived the dive and managed to drop their bomb but missed their target.
Lt. Campion formed up on Second Lieutenant George Lumpkin for the return flight to Midway. A Japanese float plane was seen approaching their area and both pilots turned towards the enemy and fired a burst at the aircraft. Lt. Campion decided to give chase as the float plane raced back towards the covering fire of the fleet. Enemy Zero fighters spotted the two Vindicators and dove down on them and Lt. Lumpkin escaped the enemy fighters by flying into a cloud and lost sight of the Lt. Campion and Anthony's plane. Lt. Lumpkin and his gunner were the last American's to see them ever again.
The exact location of the crash site is unknown except to God. It is felt that Anthony and his lieutenant are still manning their aircraft, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
After being listed as missing in action for one year and one day, Anthony's staus was changed to killed in action with the official death date of June 5, 1943. At the time of his death, Anthony's next-of-kin was bus sister, Mrs. Irene Podolski and she was living at 1439 North Artesian Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
Private Anthony Joseph Maday, Sn #363417, earned the following badges/decorations for his service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II:
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Purple Heart Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with one bronze battle/campaign star
- World War II Victory Medal
Anthony enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on January 29, 1942. Shortly after completing boot camp, he was assigned to Marine Air Group 21 and shipped out to Midway Island for duty with squadron VMSB-241. He arrived on Midway on May 24, 1942. Anthony had not had any flight gunnery training and possibly had never flown in a plane. He was soon assigned to be the gunner to Second Lieutenant Kenneth Oscar Campion, who had arrived on May 26th. They were assigned to a Vought SB2U Vindicator with bureau number 2067, but they had only a few days to learn how to fly their plane because on the morning of June 4, 1942, they took off from Midway as Japanese planes turned the base to rubble behind them; Anthony and his squadron flew off to try and find the carrier strike force that was attacking their base.
After nearly ninety minutes in the air, the Americans spotted the carriers – and were in turn spotted by patrolling planes from the carrier HIRYU. The slow dive-bombers, unable to dive properly due to the pilots inexperience, became easy targets for the Japanese pilots.
Lt. Campion flew his Vindicator into an attack on a Japanese battleship. He and Anthony survived the dive and managed to drop their bomb but missed their target.
Lt. Campion formed up on Second Lieutenant George Lumpkin for the return flight to Midway. A Japanese float plane was seen approaching their area and both pilots turned towards the enemy and fired a burst at the aircraft. Lt. Campion decided to give chase as the float plane raced back towards the covering fire of the fleet. Enemy Zero fighters spotted the two Vindicators and dove down on them and Lt. Lumpkin escaped the enemy fighters by flying into a cloud and lost sight of the Lt. Campion and Anthony's plane. Lt. Lumpkin and his gunner were the last American's to see them ever again.
The exact location of the crash site is unknown except to God. It is felt that Anthony and his lieutenant are still manning their aircraft, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
After being listed as missing in action for one year and one day, Anthony's staus was changed to killed in action with the official death date of June 5, 1943. At the time of his death, Anthony's next-of-kin was bus sister, Mrs. Irene Podolski and she was living at 1439 North Artesian Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
Private Anthony Joseph Maday, Sn #363417, earned the following badges/decorations for his service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II:
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Purple Heart Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with one bronze battle/campaign star
- World War II Victory Medal
Anthony Joseph Maday was the son of Polish immigrants. (I am still researching this heores early life...please be patient. Thanks! - Rick Lawrence)
Anthony enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on January 29, 1942. Shortly after completing boot camp, he was assigned to Marine Air Group 21 and shipped out to Midway Island for duty with squadron VMSB-241. He arrived on Midway on May 24, 1942. Anthony had not had any flight gunnery training and possibly had never flown in a plane. He was soon assigned to be the gunner to Second Lieutenant Kenneth Oscar Campion, who had arrived on May 26th. They were assigned to a Vought SB2U Vindicator with bureau number 2067, but they had only a few days to learn how to fly their plane because on the morning of June 4, 1942, they took off from Midway as Japanese planes turned the base to rubble behind them; Anthony and his squadron flew off to try and find the carrier strike force that was attacking their base.
After nearly ninety minutes in the air, the Americans spotted the carriers – and were in turn spotted by patrolling planes from the carrier HIRYU. The slow dive-bombers, unable to dive properly due to the pilots inexperience, became easy targets for the Japanese pilots.
Lt. Campion flew his Vindicator into an attack on a Japanese battleship. He and Anthony survived the dive and managed to drop their bomb but missed their target.
Lt. Campion formed up on Second Lieutenant George Lumpkin for the return flight to Midway. A Japanese float plane was seen approaching their area and both pilots turned towards the enemy and fired a burst at the aircraft. Lt. Campion decided to give chase as the float plane raced back towards the covering fire of the fleet. Enemy Zero fighters spotted the two Vindicators and dove down on them and Lt. Lumpkin escaped the enemy fighters by flying into a cloud and lost sight of the Lt. Campion and Anthony's plane. Lt. Lumpkin and his gunner were the last American's to see them ever again.
The exact location of the crash site is unknown except to God. It is felt that Anthony and his lieutenant are still manning their aircraft, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
After being listed as missing in action for one year and one day, Anthony's staus was changed to killed in action with the official death date of June 5, 1943. At the time of his death, Anthony's next-of-kin was bus sister, Mrs. Irene Podolski and she was living at 1439 North Artesian Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
Private Anthony Joseph Maday, Sn #363417, earned the following badges/decorations for his service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II:
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Purple Heart Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with one bronze battle/campaign star
- World War II Victory Medal
Anthony enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on January 29, 1942. Shortly after completing boot camp, he was assigned to Marine Air Group 21 and shipped out to Midway Island for duty with squadron VMSB-241. He arrived on Midway on May 24, 1942. Anthony had not had any flight gunnery training and possibly had never flown in a plane. He was soon assigned to be the gunner to Second Lieutenant Kenneth Oscar Campion, who had arrived on May 26th. They were assigned to a Vought SB2U Vindicator with bureau number 2067, but they had only a few days to learn how to fly their plane because on the morning of June 4, 1942, they took off from Midway as Japanese planes turned the base to rubble behind them; Anthony and his squadron flew off to try and find the carrier strike force that was attacking their base.
After nearly ninety minutes in the air, the Americans spotted the carriers – and were in turn spotted by patrolling planes from the carrier HIRYU. The slow dive-bombers, unable to dive properly due to the pilots inexperience, became easy targets for the Japanese pilots.
Lt. Campion flew his Vindicator into an attack on a Japanese battleship. He and Anthony survived the dive and managed to drop their bomb but missed their target.
Lt. Campion formed up on Second Lieutenant George Lumpkin for the return flight to Midway. A Japanese float plane was seen approaching their area and both pilots turned towards the enemy and fired a burst at the aircraft. Lt. Campion decided to give chase as the float plane raced back towards the covering fire of the fleet. Enemy Zero fighters spotted the two Vindicators and dove down on them and Lt. Lumpkin escaped the enemy fighters by flying into a cloud and lost sight of the Lt. Campion and Anthony's plane. Lt. Lumpkin and his gunner were the last American's to see them ever again.
The exact location of the crash site is unknown except to God. It is felt that Anthony and his lieutenant are still manning their aircraft, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
After being listed as missing in action for one year and one day, Anthony's staus was changed to killed in action with the official death date of June 5, 1943. At the time of his death, Anthony's next-of-kin was bus sister, Mrs. Irene Podolski and she was living at 1439 North Artesian Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.
Private Anthony Joseph Maday, Sn #363417, earned the following badges/decorations for his service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II:
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Purple Heart Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with one bronze battle/campaign star
- World War II Victory Medal
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Illinois.
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