By Jon Wilson
PINELLAS PARK-- U.S. Marines also fly. Known for their dash and daring in land battle, Marines played an important aviation role in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Pilots and their crews supported ground forces as they island-hopped toward the Japanese mainland.
Ted Wall was a 20-year-old sergeant, a gunner on a Marine torpedo bomber assigned to Squadron 232 during the war's waning days, when most people expected that only an invasion of Japan would end the conflict.
The Japanese surrendered in August 1945 after President Truman ordered atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
But from March until August, Wall flew 70 missions in the single-engine, snub-nosed bomber. Some were strike missions; others involved anti-submarine patrols, supply drops, and harassment or reconnaissance operations.
Wall, a Mainlands resident, received three belated Distinguished Flying Crosses on April 11, 1999 for his part in the action.
Marine Corps General A.C. Zinni, commander of the Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, presented the medals to Wall at the Marine Corps Reserve Center in Tampa.
Wall's wife of 49 years, Mary Jean, a teacher who retired from Shorecrest Preparatory School, was present, as were the couple's three married children and their families. Wall has lived in the St. Petersburg area since 1963 and is the postmaster at Admiral Farragut Academy.
LTCOL Ted Wall, USMC Ret.
UNC Class of '49
Photo by Brian Baer
Authorized in 1926, the Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded for heroism or historic achievement in flight. It is among the higher military decorations, outranked only by a handful of medals.
Before the awards ceremony, Wall said he hadn't seen the citations and didn't know what specific action caused them to be approved. In recent years, military records reviews have resulted in verterans' receiving numerous awards for action overlooked or fogotten during their war years.
Wall, who eventually earned a commission in the Marines through Naval ROTC at the University of North Carolina, received 11 belated Air medals last year. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1967.
"This is just a correction of records," Wall said. "This is certainly not intended to make me a hero."
The pilots and crews he served with contributed to every mission, Wall said.
"It was a group effort, not a bunch of prima donnas. It was like a good football or soccer team."