Horace S. Carswell Jr.

Horace Seaver "Stump" Carswell Jr. was a United States Army Air Forces officer who served with distinction during World War II. Known for his exceptional bravery and piloting skills, Carswell reached the rank of Major before making the ultimate sacrifice in combat during operations in the Pacific Theater.

On October 26, 1944, while piloting a B-24 Liberator bomber, Major Carswell displayed extraordinary heroism during a low-level attack on a Japanese warship convoy in the South China Sea. Despite his aircraft sustaining severe damage from intense anti-aircraft fire, he successfully completed his bombing run and managed to guide the crippled bomber back toward land.

Faced with a failing aircraft, Major Carswell ordered his crew to bail out. Realizing that one crew member's parachute was shredded and unusable, Carswell chose to remain at the controls in an attempt to make a crash landing and save his remaining crewmate. The aircraft struck a mountainside, killing him and the remaining crew member. For his conspicuous gallantry and self-sacrifice, Major Carswell was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and Carswell Air Force Base in Texas was later named in his memory.