This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Donald Losey (Fallhiker), MM1
to remember
Sonner, Irl Vantage, Jr., LTJG.
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Contact Info
Home Town Buhl
Last Address Petaluma, California
Date of Passing Mar 22, 1945
Location of Interment Buried at Sea, Pacific Ocean
LtJG Sonner entered the Navy from San Francisco on 17 June 1942 with rank of S2C as a Naval Air Cadet. He had attended Petaluma High School, California, then attended St. Mary's College in Oakland.
He was trained as a fighter pilot with training at USNAS Miami, Corpus Christi, and San Diego.
Reported aboard the USS Cabot on 5 October 1944. Prior to this, he was an Ensign aboard the USS Sargent Bay, on TDY for August 1944.
He served in combat operations including French Indo China; Philippine Islands; Ulithi Islands; Kyushu, Japan (air fields, etc.), and on Chichi Jima, etc.; and Formosa.
He was killed after he landed abaord the USS Cabot when the following aircrat crashed into his plane and five others following a combat patrol while in the Formosa area. He was part of a patrol to cover the retirement of two damaged cruisers following operations near Formosa, the USS Canberra (CA-70) and USS Houston (CC-81).
He flew the F-6F. He was credited with the shoot down of 5 Japanese aircraft, and listed as an "Ace" fighter pilot..
He was awarded the DFC, Air Medal, and the Silver Star (posthumously).
A memorial marker rests in Five Mile Cemetery, Saunemin, Livingston County, Illinois.
Other Comments:
Death Circumstances: "After planes were moved forward to make room for further recoveries, a fighter came in low, hit the ramp and sheared off the arresting hook. He then bounced over the barriers, crashing into parked aircraft. One pilot was killed in a parked plane. The pilot of the crashing plane, however, was not injured. Six fighters were so badly damaged they had to be jettisoned. Killed was Lt. (jg) Irl V. SONNER. His body was committed to the deep on 22 March at latitude 22° 29.5" north, longitude 133° 13.7" east. "
from: http://www.stexboat.com/books/cabot/cab06_09.htm
