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Casualty Info
Home Town Arlington, VA
Last Address Belmont, CA
Casualty Date Apr 18, 1944
Cause KIA-Body Not Recovered
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial - Honolulu, Hawaii
Wall/Plot Coordinates Court 2 (cenotaph)
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
The USS Gudgeon (SS-211) left on her 12th patrol 4 April 1944, checked in at Johnson Island on 7 April and was never heard from again. Her loss is a mystery. On 7 June 1944, she was officially declared lost and presumed lost. Seaman First Class Vance was listed as Missing in Action and later declared dead 15 January 1946.
Comments/Citation:
Service number: 6635148
Submarine war patrols:
USS Nautilus (SS-168) - 7th and 8th
USS Gudgeon (SS-211) - 12th
The information contained in this profile was compiled from various internet sources.
Central Pacific Campaign (1941-43)/Gilbert Islands Operation
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
December / 1943
Description 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.
