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Casualty Info
Home Town Wayland, NY
Last Address 102 Scott St Wayland, NY
Casualty Date Oct 24, 1944
Cause KIA-Body Not Recovered
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Pacific
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
Wall/Plot Coordinates (cenotaph)
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
ARM3 Shetler flew on 29 missions as a member of VF-15. The plane he was aboard was shot down during the 2nd Battle of Philippine Sea. His remains were not recovered.
Comments/Citation:
Service number: 6083898
Distinguished Flying Cross
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Aviation Radioman Third Class Carl Edward Shetler (NSN: 6083898), United States Naval Reserve, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as aircrewman of a diver bomber embarked in U.S.S. ESSEX during the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea on 24 October 1944. General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 345 (December 1945) Action Date: October 24, 1944 Service: Navy Rank: Aviation Radioman Third Class Division: U.S.S. Essex
Air Medal
For meritorious acheivement in aerial flight as Combat Aircrewman of Carrier-based Dive Bomber attached to Bomber Squadron 15 during action against enemy Japanese positions and shipping in the Pacific War Area from May 19 to Sept. 24, 1944. Courageous and skillful in the performance of duty, he participated in numerous strikes against the enemy on MArcus and Wake, in the Marianas, Bonins, Palau and Philippine Islands during this period, rendering valiat service to his pilot and contributing materially to the success of thes hazardous missions.
The information contained in this profile was compiled from various internet sources.
Description The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the Battles for Leyte Gulf, and formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.
It was fought in waters near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon from 23–26 October 1944, between combined US and Australian forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy. On 20 October, United States troops invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it had occupied in Southeast Asia, and in particular depriving its forces and industry of vital oil supplies. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) mobilized nearly all of its remaining major naval vessels in an attempt to defeat the Allied invasion, but was repulsed by the US Navy's 3rd and 7th Fleets. The IJN failed to achieve its objective, suffered very heavy losses, and never afterwards sailed to battle in comparable force. The majority of its surviving heavy ships, deprived of fuel, remained in their bases for the rest of the Pacific War.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf consisted of four separate engagements between the opposing forces: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño and the Battle off Samar, as well as other actions.
It was the first battle in which Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks. By the time of the battle, Japan had fewer aircraft than the Allied forces had sea vessels, demonstrating the difference in power of the two sides at this point of the war.
