Lt Bacon was a Naval Aviator & a member of Patrol Squadron 51. He was shot down & killed over the Solomon Islands on February 14, 1943. Bacon was initially listed as Missing in Action. On December 10, 1945, his status was changed to Killed in Action, remains were not recovered. Bacon was survived by his wife, Barbara Hinshaw Bacon, of Everett WA.

For his actions on February 14, 1943, Bacon was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross & Purple Heart.

Biographical information contributed by FindAGrave member Randy (#46846747)

VP-51

PB4Y-1 Liberator Bureau Number 31950 Squadron Number 51-P-4

Mission History

On February 14, 1943 took off from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal off piloted by Lt. Jay D. Bacon Jr. armed with a single 1,000 pound bomb as one of nine PB4Y-1 Liberators led by LCDR William A. Moffett Jr. (C. O. VB-101) on a mission against Japanese shipping off southern Bougainville in the Buin-Shortland area.

The bombers were escorted by ten P-38G Lightnings from  339th Fighter Squadron (339th FS) plus twelve F4U Corsairs from Marine Fighting Squadron 124 (VMF-124). Over the target by 11:45am, the bombers released their bombs against Japanese shipping and scored two near misses bracketing Hitati Maru (Hitachi Maru) and two near misses bracketing Kisaragi Maru. 

After the bomb run, the formation was intercepted by roughly thirty A6M Zeros and fifteen A6M2-N Rufe floatplanes from Shortland. During the air combat, two PB4Y-1's were shot down including PB4Y-1 pilot Bacon (MIA) and PB4Y-1 pilot Cooper (MIA). During the air combat, PB4Y-1 pilot Cooper was shot down by a head on attack by Zeros and crashed over the target area. Returning, PB4Y-1 pilot Bacon was damaged by gun fire and ditched north off New Georgia. When this bomber failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Due to the severe American losses, this mission was dubbed the "Saint Valentines Day Massacre".

Service # 0-079900

Unit United States Naval Reserve

Rank Lieutenant U.S. Navy

Entered Service From California 

Date of Death December 10 1945 (Declared Dead)

Status Missing In Action

★ Purple Heart

★ Distinguished Flying Cross

BACON, Jay D, Jr, LT, 79900, Patrol Squadron 51, Consolidation of Southern Solomons, February 14, 1943, (CasCode6222), dd December 10, 1945.

Jay Darwin Bacon

HOME OF RECORD:

Everett, Washington

AWARDS BY DATE OF ACTION: 1 of 1

Distinguished Flying Cross

AWARDED FOR ACTIONS

DURING World War II

Service: Navy

Rank: Lieutenant

GENERAL ORDERS:

CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Jay Darwin Bacon (NSN: 0-79900), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in numerous combat flights during the periods 1 to 9 June 1942, and 27 January 1943 to 14 February 1943; and for the daylight bombardment of Bougainville on 14 February 1943.

Pilot  Lt. Jay Darwin Bacon, Jr., O-079900, USNR (MIA / KIA) CA

Co-Pilot Ensign Edmund John Kolazyk, O-146507, USN (MIA / KIA) Fitchburg, MA

Crew AOM2c Frank Eugene Atkins, 2627848, USN (MIA / KIA) ) Easley, SC

Crew ARM2c William Barber, 3762721, USN (MIA / KIA) East Palo Alto, CA

Crew ARM1 Frank Lee Betz, Jr., 4073077, USNR (MIA / KIA) Houston, TX

Crew AMM1 Jessie Lloyd Henderson, 2722465, USN (MIA / KIA) AL

Crew AMM2c Norman Levi North, 2689387, USN (MIA / KIA) Longwood, FL

Crew AMM2c John Melvin Walker, 2686043, USN (MIA / KIA) Macon, GA

Crew AMM2c Oscar Kenneth Ward, 3759133, USN (MIA / KIA) CA

Crew AMM3c Roy Russel Wells, 3604159, USN (MIA / KIA) TX

Crew AOM3c Joseph Harold Zattera, 3763622, USN (MIA / KIA) San Francisco, CA

MIA  February 14, 1943.

Source: Pacific Wrecks

Source material from multiple public domain websites.

Remembered by Buffalo (50696055)