This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Pamela LaVerne Jeans-Historian
to remember
Marine 1stLt Dan Regis Meulpolder.
If you knew or served with this Marine and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Contact Info
Home Town Pella
Last Address 308 Main St. Pella, Iowa
MIA Date Jan 29, 1944
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Papua New Guinea
Location of Memorial Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
Dan Regis Meulpolder entered the Marine Corps from Pella, Iowa. 12 May 1943 commissioned Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenant NAS Corpus Christi Texas. Designated a Naval Aviator assigned Headquarters Squadron 42 MCAS Santa Barbara (Goleta) for training as a Torpedo Bomber Pilot. December 1944 overseas San Diego to Solomon Islands. Promoted 1st Lieutenant. 5 January 1944 assigned Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 143 (VMTB 143) Munda New Georgia. 29 January 1944 shot down on Air Mission over Rabaul New Britain flying a TBF Avenger. Remains not recovered. Lt Meulpoler and his Radio Gunner PFC James W Raun Oakland CA are Commemorated on Wall of Missing ABMC Manila Memorial
MEULPOLDER, Dan R, 1STLT, O-023237, USMC, from Iowa, location New Britain Island, date of loss January 29, 1944 + MEULPOLDER, Dan R., 1st Lt., USMCR. Mother, Mrs. Mia Meulpolder, 308 Main St., Pella, Iowa + MEULPOLDER, Dan Regis, 23237, VMTB-143, MAG-11, 1st MAW, FMF, New Britain, January 29, 1944, killed in action + MEULPOLDER, Dan Regis, First Lieutenant, O-023237, USMC, from Iowa, Manila American Cemetery
Body Not Recovered
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Northern Solomon Islands Campaign (1943-44)
From Month/Year
February / 1943
To Month/Year
November / 1944
Description The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942. The Japanese occupied these locations and began the construction of several naval and air bases with the goals of protecting the flank of the Japanese offensive in New Guinea, establishing a security barrier for the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain, and providing bases for interdicting supply lines between the Allied powers of the United States and Australia and New Zealand.
The Allies, in order to defend their communication and supply lines in the South Pacific, supported a counteroffensive in New Guinea, isolated the Japanese base at Rabaul, and counterattacked the Japanese in the Solomons with landings on Guadalcanal (see Guadalcanal Campaign) and small neighboring islands on 7 August 1942. These landings initiated a series of combined-arms battles between the two adversaries, beginning with the Guadalcanal landing and continuing with several battles in the central and northern Solomons, on and around New Georgia Island, and Bougainville Island.
In a campaign of attrition fought on land, on sea, and in the air, the Allies wore the Japanese down, inflicting irreplaceable losses on Japanese military assets. The Allies retook some of the Solomon Islands (although resistance continued until the end of the war), and they also isolated and neutralized some Japanese positions, which were then bypassed. The Solomon Islands campaign then converged with the New Guinea campaign.
