John S. Walmsley Jr., Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

John S. Walmsley Jr.

United States Air Force Medal of Honor recipient

Date of Birth: 07-Jan-1920

Place of Birth: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Date of Death: 14-Sep-1951

Profession: military officer

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

John Springer Walmsley Jr.
(7 January 1920 – 14 September 1951) was a bomber pilot in the United States Army Air Forces after World War II and the United States Air Force during the Korean War.
Walmsley rose to the rank of captain and posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on 14 September 1951 above Yangdok, North Korea during a bombing mission. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Walmsley joined the Army Air Forces and spent the 1940s as an instructor pilot in the United States and Japan, but did not see combat.
He was deployed with the 8th Bombardment Squadron to the Korean War, flying B-26 Invader aircraft.
During this time, Walmsley volunteered for a risky bombing campaign, Operation Strangle. During one of the bombing missions, Walmsley's aircraft spotted a Chinese supply train moving by cover of darkness.
He attacked it until he expended his ammunition and called for backup (note: the Wikipedia entry under "A-26 Invader" mentions he fired until his guns jammed).
He then used a spotlight on his aircraft to illuminate the train for subsequent attacks, exposing himself and his crew to intense anti-aircraft fire, which he did not avoid.
The mission resulted in the successful destruction of the train, and Walmsley was killed when his heavily damaged aircraft crashed.