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NAME Paul Vliet Bowersox Erwin |
NICKNAME Vliet |
SERVICE NUMBER O-8021 |
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| UNIT VMO-251 Pilot |
HOME OF RECORD 620 Southwest 3rd Street, Miami, FL |
NEXT OF KIN Mother, Mrs. Minnie B. Erwin |
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| DATE OF BIRTH November 23, 1915 |
ENTERED SERVICE March 24, 1941 |
DATE OF LOSS January 23, 1943 |
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| REGION Solomon Islands |
CAMPAIGN / AREA New Georgia |
CASUALTY TYPE Missing In Action Declared dead January 5, 1944 |
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| CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS Lieutenant Paul Erwin was a fighter pilot serving with VMO-251 during the Solomon Islands campaign. He was shot down while providing fighter cover for an SBD strike against Japanese warships in “The Slot” on 23 January 1943. He was credited with one Zero destroyed on this date. No trace of “Vliet” Erwin was ever found, and he was officially declared dead on 5 January 1944. |
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| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS Air Medal, Purple Heart |
LAST KNOWN RANK Second Lieutenant (posthumous Captain) |
STATUS OF REMAINS Missing in action. |
MEMORIALS Woodlawn Park North Cemetery, Miami, FL Manila American Cemetery |
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