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Casualty Info
Home Town Lodi, ca
Last Address Anderson,Indiana
Casualty Date Jul 17, 1944
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial - Honolulu, Hawaii
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Mark Kenneth Bright (NSN: 0-103989), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Fighter Plane in Fighting Squadron FIVE (VF-5), attached to the U.S.S. SARATOGA (CV-3), in action against enemy Japanese forces while deployed over Guadalcanal and Tulagi, in the Solomon Islands, on 7 August 1942. Upon sighting an enemy force of eleven dive bombers about to enter upon a diving attack against transports and other surface vessels, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Bright played an important role in an attack upon them which resulted in the destruction of nine of them, thereby breaking up the enemy attack and preventing the enemy from registering any hits upon their targets. He personally shot down two of the enemy bombers, one of them while in its dive before its bombs had been released. He also assisted in destroying two other planes which crashed under the combined fire of his guns and those of other friendly pilots. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Naval Service. General Orders: Commander In Chief Pacific Fleet: Serial 28 (1943)
Action Date: August 7, 1942
Service: Navy Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade
Company: Fighting Squadron 5 (VF-5)
Division: U.S.S. Saratoga (CV-3)
DISTINGUSHED FLYING CROSS
Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant Mark Kenneth Bright (NSN: 0-103989), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight against enemy forces in the vicinity of the Palau Islands on 30 and 31 March 1944; near western New Guinea on 21 and 22 April 1944; in the vicinity of Truk Islands on 29 and 30 April 1944; as pilot of a carrier-based fighter plane. He led his division of fighters in repeated attacks against enemy positions in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire, and by his own strafing attacks damaged two enemy destroyers, started fires on two enemy merchant ships, sank or set on fire eight small enemy craft, destroyed at least two enemy planes on the ground and damaged many others, and otherwise inflicted substantial damage on the enemy. His courage and skill was at all times in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders:Commander in Chief, Pacific: Serial 05323 (October 3, 1944)
Action Date:March 30 - April 30, 1944
Service:Navy
Rank:Lieutenant
Company:Torpedo Squadron 16 (VT-16)
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Mariana and Palau Islands Campaign (1944)
From Month/Year
June / 1944
To Month/Year
November / 1944
Description The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944 during the Pacific War. The United States offensive, under the overall command of Chester Nimitz, followed the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign and was intended to neutralize Japanese bases in the central Pacific, support the Allied drive to retake the Philippines, and provide bases for a strategic bombing campaign against Japan.
Beginning the offensive, United States Marine Corps and United States Army forces, with support from the United States Navy, executed landings on Saipan in June, 1944. In response, the Imperial Japanese Navy's combined fleet sortied to attack the U.S. Navy fleet supporting the landings. In the resulting aircraft carrier Battle of the Philippine Sea (the so-called “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot”) on 19–20 June, the Japanese naval forces were decisively defeated with heavy and irreplaceable losses to their carrier-borne and land-based aircraft.
Thereafter, U.S. forces executed landings on Guam and Tinian in July, 1944. After heavy fighting, Saipan was secured in July and Guam and Tinian in August, 1944. The U.S. then constructed airfields on Saipan and Tinian where B-29s were based to conduct strategic bombing missions against the Japanese mainland until the end of World War II, including the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In the meantime, in order to secure the flank for U.S. forces preparing to attack Japanese forces in the Philippines, in September, 1944, U.S. Marine and Army forces landed on the islands of Peleliu and Angaur in Palau. After heavy and intense combat on Peleliu, the island was finally secured by U.S. forces in November, 1944.
Following their landings in the Mariana and Palau Islands, Allied forces continued their ultimately successful campaign against Japan by landing in the Philippines in October, 1944 and the Volcano and Ryukyu Islands beginning in January, 1945.
NAVY CROSS
DISTINGUSHED FLYING CROSS