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Contact Info
Home Town Muskogee
Last Address Muskogee
MIA Date Jan 27, 1944
Cause MIA-Finding of Death
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Solomon Islands
Location of Memorial Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
Service number 020369
Lt. Clyde Askew was a pilot of a Marine F-4U and was credited with the shoot down of 1 Japanese "Zeke" on 18 January 1944 (near Duke of York Island). His unit was flying out of Piva Yoke Fighter Airstrip, Bouganville, Island, Solomon Islands. On 27 January 1944, he was lost while escorting USAAF B-25s on a mission to bomb the Japanese on Rabaul. He served as wingman for another Marine, Lt. Taylor, who was forced to make a water landing near Cape Torokina due to mechanical problems. Lt. Taylor was later picked up. Lt. Taylor observed Lt. Askew, whose aircraft also developed mechanical problems, make a water landing. Lt. Askew did not get out of the aircraft before it sank. A later search by search boat came up empty handed. A Memorial grave marker was setup at Ft Gibson National Cemetery, Section MA Site 11. He remains MIA for nearly 40 years, Lt Askew was given honors 11 Nov 1983.
Central Pacific Campaign (1941-43)/Gilbert Islands Operation (1943)
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
December / 1943
Description (Gilbert Islands operation November 13 - December 8, 1943) In the Pacific Theater of World War II, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, from November 1943 through February 1944, were key strategic operations of the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps in the Central Pacific. The purpose was to establish airfields that would allow land based air support for the upcoming operations across the Central Pacific. The campaign began with a costly three-day battle for the island of Betio at the Tarawa atoll. The campaign was preceded a year earlier by a diversionary raid on Makin Island by U.S. Marines in August, 1942.
Japanese bases in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands were the outer perimeter of eastern defenses for the Japanese Empire. The Marianas Campaign followed the next summer.
