Cmdr. Willis E. (Bill) Hardy, US Navy, (1920-2017) As A Member Of The Navys VF-17 Squadron, Navy Cross Etc.

"Cmdr. Willis E. (Bill) Hardy, US Navy, (1920-2017); As a member of the Navy’s VF-17 squadron, he joined the USS Hornet aircraft carrier and proceeded to distinguish himself on numerous occasions as a fearless warrior in the Pacific Theater of the war. He flew Corsair aircraft in early war missions and supported the United States Marine Corps in the 1945 invasion of Iwo Jima through preemptive aerial bombing destruction of gun caves on Mount Suribachi. As a lieutenant junior grade, Cmdr. Hardy earned the distinction of Ace in a Day by shooting down five enemy aircraft that were on an aerial suicide mission in the Pacific. That day’s dogfight was fierce, and after the fray he and his wingman navigated in their F6F Hellcats back to their carrier with perilously low fuel levels in the dark, with no visual cues and only intermittent radio signals as guidance. They eventually made it back to the carrier by following the large phosphorescent waves in the wake of the blacked-out carrier.

Cmdr. Hardy participated in more daring aerial combat missions in World War II and earned the nickname “Medals.” He was credited with 6-1/2 downed enemy aircraft, one probable enemy aircraft down, and 2-1/5 damaged enemy aircraft. During the Korean War, he trained Navy night fighter pilots. After the conclusion of the Korean war, he served on the USS Corson (APV-37). He was awarded the China Service Medal for his role as fighter director officer for photo reconnaissance flight missions over the People’s Republic of China in 1954, and was subsequently promoted to lieutenant commander. The following year he was promoted to executive officer of the Navy’s VF-51 squadron."

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Notes: As received from the Flying Aces Museum. See photos

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