- Boyd Wagner
-
Boyd Wagner 
Born October 26, 1916
Cambria County, PennsylvaniaDied November 29, 1942 (aged 26)
Walton County, FloridaPlace of burial Grandview Cemetery, Johnstown Allegiance United States of America Service/branch United States Army Air Force Years of service 1938 – 1942 Rank Lieutenant Colonel Unit 24th Pursuit Group
17th Pursuit Squadron
8th Fighter GroupBattles/wars World War II Awards Distinguished Service Cross
Purple Heart
Distinguished Flying CrossLt. Col. Boyd David "Buzz" Wagner (October 26, 1916–November 29, 1942) was an American aviator and the first USAAF fighter ace of World War II.
Wagner was born October 26, 1916 in Emeigh, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, the son of Boyd M. Wagner and Elizabeth M. Moody Wagner.[1][2][3]
Contents
Life
He grew up in Nanty-Glo, near Johnstown, and studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh for three years before joining the Army Air Corps. He completed flight training in June 1938 and was assigned to duty in the Philippines with the 24th Pursuit Group. He was soon given command of the 17th Pursuit Squadron.[4]
He was nicknamed “Buzz” because it was said he could buzz the camouflage off a hangar roof.[5]
Wagner was a First Lieutenant commanding the 17th Pursuit Squadron stationed at Nichols Field on December 8, 1941 when the first Japanese air attacks struck the Philippines. On December 12, Wagner took off in a Curtiss P-40 on a solo reconnaissance mission over Aparri, where he was attacked by Japanese Zero fighter planes. He dove away from the attacking planes and then returned and shot down two of them. He was attacked by more Zeros as he strafed a nearby Japanese airfield and subsequently destroyed two of these planes as well before returning to Clark Field.[2]
On December 17 he led an attack on a Japanese airstrip near Vigan with Lieutenants Allison W. Strauss and Russell M. Church, Jr. Church was killed in the attack and posthumously received the Distinguished Service Cross. Wagner and Strauss continued the strafing attack on the airfield, damaging and destroying numerous Japanese planes. A sole Japanese Zero took off and attacked Wagner's plane but he chopped his throttle and caused the Zero to overshoot his plane. Once in position behind the Zero Wagner was able to shoot it down, becoming the first USAAF ace of World War II and earning a Distinguished Service Cross.[2]
At least one source states that Wagner's first five kills were not Zeros, but were IJAAF Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate" fighter planes. This source does confirm his later kills were reported as Zeros but were impossible to verify from Japanese records.[6]
Attacking the Japanese again at Vigan on December 22, his plane was struck by enemy fire and he was wounded by glass splinters which struck his face and eyes. He returned to base safely and evacuated to Australia in January 1942.[2]
Wagner was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and assigned in April to the 8th Fighter Group in New Guinea flying the Bell P-39. At the time he was the youngest Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army.[5] On April 30, 1942 he shot down three Zeros, bringing his air-to-air kill total to 8 planes.[2]
It was decided higher up in the chain of command that Wagner's experience and knowledge would be more valuable back in the U.S., training fighter pilots and as a liaison to the Curtiss P-40 plant in Buffalo, New York, to help engineers improve the P-40's combat performance. Despite his protests at being pulled out of combat he was sent home to the States.[4][7]
Death
On a routine flight in a P-40K from Eglin Field, Florida to Maxwell Field, Alabama on November 29, 1942, Wagner's plane disappeared.[4][5] After an extensive search what was left of the P-40 and Wagner's remains were found almost six weeks later in January 1943, 25 miles east of Eglin. The cause of the crash, if known, was never revealed.[7]
After the crash site was found, partial remains of Wagner were found and returned to Johnstown for burial. An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 mourners attended his funeral at Grandview Cemetery in January 1943. Both Time Magazine and Life Magazine covered the event.[3][5]
After five years of research, retired Air Force Colonel Jim Moschgat rediscovered what he believed to be the crash site of Wagner's plane in Florida and found artifacts that tentatively confirmed the crash site was the correct one. Human remains were found at the site in 2008.[5] In 2010 the remains were confirmed as being LTC Wagner’s. His remains were buried with full military honors, to include a fly over by the U.S. Air Force at the Grandview Cemetery in Johnstown.[8]
Honors
In addition to the Distinguished Service Cross, Wagner also received the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Two schools at Clark Air Base were named in honor of Boyd Wagner: Wagner High School and Wagner Middle School.
See also
- List of World War II air aces
- History of Clark Air Base
- Edward O'Hare
- Richard Bong
- Art Donahue
- Donald Blakeslee
- Saburō Sakai
Notes
- ^ [1], Boyd D. Wagner at Ancestry.Com accessed September 8, 2009
- ^ a b c d e [2], Lt. Col. Boyd Wagner on AcePilots.com accessed September 8, 2009
- ^ a b [3] Boyd Wagner at Find A Grave accessed September 8, 2009
- ^ a b c [4], Lt. Col. Boyd Wagner at Air Force Magazine accessed September 8, 2009
- ^ a b c d e [5], Boyd Wagner Crash Site Researched at Johnstown Tribune Democrat accessed September 8, 2009
- ^ [6], Bell P-39 Airacobra in USAAF Service accessed September 9, 2009
- ^ a b [7], Boyd Wagner at Aircraft of World War II - Warbird Forums accessed September 8, 2009
- ^ http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x693283164/Events-to-honor-WWII-flying-ace
External links
- Boyd D. Wagner at Ancestry.Com
- Lt. Col. Boyd Wagner at AcePilots.com
- Boyd Wagner at Find A Grave
- Lt. Col. Boyd Wagner at Air Force Magazine
- Boyd Wagner at Aircraft of World War II - Warbird Forums
- Bell P-39 Airacobra in USAAF Service
- Boyd Wagner Crash Site Researched at Johnstown Tribune Democrat
- Flyover in honor of Buzz Wagner, 2010
Categories:- 1916 births
- 1942 deaths
- University of Pittsburgh alumni
- American World War II flying aces
- People from Johnstown, Pennsylvania
- Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
- Recipients of the Purple Heart medal
- Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
- Accidental deaths in Florida
- American military personnel killed in World War II
- Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
- United States Army Air Forces officers
- United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
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