Harold W. Bauer

He defended a ship from enemy aircraft with fuel running low

Harold William Bauer was born in Woodruff, Kansas, on 20 November 1908 and grew up in Nebraska. An accomplished athlete, he entered the Naval Academy in 1926 and graduated in 1930. He accepted a Marine Corps commission, served with infantry and shipboard Marines, and coached at Annapolis before training as an aviator. He earned his wings at Pensacola in 1936.

After fighter squadron duties before the war, he commanded Marine Fighting Squadron 212 in the South Pacific in 1942. His squadron operated from the New Hebrides and Guadalcanal. Bauer combined command with combat flying, helping defend Henderson Field during the struggle for the island.

His Medal of Honor recognised conduct between May and November 1942. He was credited with destroying a bomber on 28 September and four fighters on 3 October. On 16 October, after leading a flight more than six hundred miles to Guadalcanal, he saw Japanese aircraft attacking USS McFarland. Although nearly out of fuel, he attacked alone and was credited with four further victories before landing.

On 14 November he shot down two more aircraft but had to abandon his own fighter. Other pilots saw him in the water, yet subsequent searches failed to recover him. His body was never found. The Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously, and his wife Harriette and son William received it in 1946. He is commemorated among the missing at Manila American Cemetery, and USS Bauer later carried his name.

Medal of Honor citation (excerpt)

“for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous courage”

Official Navy citation: https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-people/b/bauer-harold-w.html