This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Sgt Ryan Mahana (Alcatraz)
to remember
Marine 1stLt Charles Casper Winnia, Jr..
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Contact Info
Last Address 2618 Hillegass Ave. Berkeley, Calif
MIA Date Jul 18, 1943
Cause MIA-Finding of Death
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Papua New Guinea
Location of Memorial Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
VMF-213 was formed July 1, 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii. The squadron left MCAS Ewa on February 21, 1943 and arrived at Espiritu Santo on March 1, 1943. They received their first F4U Corsairs while at Espiritu on March 11, 1943 and after a brief stint training they moved to Guadalcanal in April 1943. On June 17, 1943, VMF-213 relieved VMF-124 in the Russell Islands. While in the Solomons, VMF-213 participated in actions against New Georgia and Kahali and flew throughout the Solomon Islands until December 1943.
Lt. Winnia was a F4U-1 Corsair pilot for USMC VMF-213 Guadalcanal in 1943. The plane took off from Henderson Field on an escort mission for B-24s bombing Kahili Airfield and was lost in a dog fight over Kahili on July 18, 1943.
WINNIA, Charles C, 1STLT, O-014324, USMC, from California, location Solomon Islands, date of loss July 18, 1943 + WINNIA, Charles C, First Lieutenant, O-014324, USMC, from California, 1946, Manila American Cemetery + WINNIA, Charles Casper, 14324, POW&MPDet, HQUSMC, Washington DC, January 10, 1946, missing-killed in action + WINNIA, Charles Casper, 1st Lieutenant, USMCR. Mother, Mrs. Stella B. Winnia, 2618 Hillegass Ave., Berkeley, Calif
1stLt Charles Casper Winnia, pilot, was declared Missing in Action on 18 Jul 1943.
Marine Fighting Squadron 213 (VMF-213) was a reserve fighter squadron in the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the "Hell Hawks", the squadron fought during World War II in the Philippines and at the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. With its assignment to the USS Essex (CV-9) and Air Group 4, VMF-213 along with VMF-124 was one of the first two Marine squadrons to augment carrier air groups during World War II. The squadron was credited with downing 117 enemy aircraft during the war.
