Medal of Honor: Kenneth Ambrose Walsh World War II — Solomon Islands 15 & 30 August 1943

Kenneth Ambrose Walsh
World War II — Solomon Islands
15 & 30 August 1943

Expanded Summary of Actions

On 15 August 1943, during a Japanese air assault against Allied ground forces and shipping near Vella Lavella, 1st Lt. Walsh led Marine Fighting Squadron 124 into a formation that vastly outnumbered his own division six to one. Flying straight into withering fire, his Corsair was riddled with hits, but Walsh fought through the storm. Diving repeatedly into the formation, he destroyed two Japanese dive bombers and one fighter, breaking up the enemy attack and protecting the vulnerable forces below. His aggressiveness and refusal to disengage despite severe damage to his aircraft demonstrated both skill and audacity, setting an example for every pilot in his squadron.

Just two weeks later, on 30 August 1943, Walsh again proved his indomitable spirit. Assigned to a vital escort mission, engine failure forced him to land his Corsair at Munda Airfield. Refusing to be left behind, he immediately secured another aircraft and raced back into the fight, rejoining the mission over Kahili. Separated from the escort formation, he soon faced an overwhelming force of nearly 50 Japanese Zeros. Rather than disengage, Walsh attacked with fury, striking again and again in his lone stand against impossible odds. By the end of the desperate aerial battle, he had shot down four enemy fighters before cannon fire crippled his aircraft. Forced to crash-land off Vella Lavella, he survived and was rescued, leaving behind a legend of tenacity and unmatched courage in the skies.

Walsh’s ferocious skill and unwavering bravery not only destroyed key enemy assets but also inspired his fellow aviators to press forward under impossible conditions. His actions marked him as one of the Marine Corps’ great aces of the Pacific War.

Medal of Honor Citation

For extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as a pilot in Marine Fighting Squadron 124 in aerial combat against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands area. Determined to thwart the enemy’s attempt to bomb Allied ground forces and shipping at Vella Lavella on 15 August 1943, 1st Lt. Walsh repeatedly dived his plane into an enemy formation outnumbering his own division 6 to 1 and, although his plane was hit numerous times, shot down 2 Japanese dive bombers and 1 fighter. After developing engine trouble on 30 August during a vital escort mission, 1st Lt. Walsh landed his mechanically disabled plane at Munda, quickly replaced it with another, and proceeded to rejoin his flight over Kahili. Separated from his escort group when he encountered approximately 50 Japanese Zeros, he unhesitatingly attacked, striking with relentless fury in his lone battle against a powerful force. He destroyed 4 hostile fighters before cannon shellfire forced him to make a dead-stick landing off Vella Lavella where he was later picked up. His valiant leadership and his daring skill as a flier served as a source of confidence and inspiration to his fellow pilots and reflect the highest credit upon the U.S. Naval Service.