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NAME Wayne Wells Christian |
NICKNAME Chris |
SERVICE NUMBER O-9014 |
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| UNIT VMO-251 Pilot |
HOME OF RECORD 2231 NW 16th Street, Oklahoma City, OK |
NEXT OF KIN Father, Mr. W. B. Christian |
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| DATE OF BIRTH August 18, 1917 |
ENTERED SERVICE July 15, 1941 |
DATE OF LOSS January 29, 1943 |
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| REGION Solomon Islands |
CAMPAIGN / AREA Guadalcanal |
CASUALTY TYPE Missing In Action Declared Dead January 30, 1944 |
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| CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS On 29 January 1943, a flight of VMO-251 fighters was returning to Henderson Field from a mission to Munda. The weather worsened, and visibility over Guadalcanal itself was poor. As the planes formed up for their approach two pilots – First Lieutenant Wayne W. Christian and First Lieutenant Glen A. Loban – attempted to enter the landing circle at the same time. The two Wildcats collided and fell from the sky. Both pilots were declared missing after the accident; neither was seen alive again. Lieutenant Christian was eventually declared dead on 30 January 1944. |
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| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS Purple Heart |
LAST KNOWN RANK First Lieutenant (posthumous Captain) |
STATUS OF REMAINS Not recovered. |
MEMORIALS Memorial Park Cemetery, Oklahoma City, OK Manila American Cemetery |
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Biography:
Coming soon. Contact the webmaster for more information about this Marine.
January 29 the boys (Christian, Loban, Captain Jack Moore and others based at Henderson Field) had been out patrolling the Chicago (heavy cruiser which was later sunk in a torpedo attack) and were coming back to the base after dark. Captain Moore said the weather was bad, so dark and murky they couldn’t see. What happened was Wayne and Loban’s planes collided and crashed in the bay at the edge of Henderson Field. Their planes went down immediately…. Captain Moore and Lt. Bryson were both eyewitnesses to the accident.
Mrs. Marie Sleeper, relating conversation with Captain Moore, The Daily Oklahoman 24 March 1943.
Articles & Records:
