Description
A handwritten citation from the Commander-In-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, awarding the Naval Air Medal for meritorious achievement during the Battle of Kwajalein Atoll. Citation is written in pencil and signed “C. W. Nimitz” by a member of his staff.
Letter was previously folded. The citation was given to Aviation Machinist’s Mate William D. Weir Jr., for his service aboard a Navy PB4Y-1 Liberator Aircraft on January 12, 1944, while conducting a bombing raid on Kwajalein Atoll. On the verso, it states “Billy came home Sun. May 28th, 1944.”
A unique piece, as most citations were typed and signed in pen by Fleet Commander Nimitz.
In early 1944, the United States launched a major assault on Kwajalein Atoll, known as “Execution Island,” in the Marshall Islands as part of Operation Flintlock. The campaign began with a heavy aerial and naval bombardment on January 30, targeting Japanese fortifications on both Kwajalein Island and Roi-Namur. The Army’s 7th Infantry Division and the Marine 4th Division, landed on January 31 and faced stiff resistance, but superior firepower and numbers allowed them to secure the atoll within days. By February 4, American forces had successfully occupied the entire atoll. The island received the nickname of “Execution Island” for the prisoner of war camp, which was not disclosed to the Red Cross. The Japanese military staff used the prisoners as slave labor and tested biological warfare agents on the men.
