Ben B. Wisner

	NAME Ben Bruin Wisner	NICKNAME —	SERVICE NUMBER O-15666
	UNIT VMF-122 Pilot	HOME OF RECORD New Bern, NC	NEXT OF KIN Wife, Mrs. Fannie M. Wisner
	DATE OF BIRTH November 19, 1915	ENTERED SERVICE February 18, 1935 (enlisted) November 9, 1942 (commissioned)	DATE OF LOSS December 23, 1942
	REGION Solomon Islands	CAMPAIGN / AREA New Georgia / Munda	CASUALTY TYPE Missing In Action Declared Dead December 24, 1943
CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS Ben Wisner was a Marine Corps fighter pilot. He rose through the enlisted ranks for years before accepting an appointment to Marine Gunner in November 1942; on 16 December, he joined VMF-122, part of the Cactus Air Force operating out of Guadalcanal. On 23 December 1942, Wisner took part in a strike against the Japanese airfield at Munda Point, New Georgia. “Overwhelming numbers of enemy fighters” attacked Wisner’s flight, and individual dogfights took place across the sky. An American airman saw one Wildcat shoot down a Japanese Zero, only to be shot down in turn. When VMF-1s landed and counted noses, F4F-4 Bureau Number 03541 – piloted by Wisner – was found to be missing. It was believed that he was the pilot shot down over Munda. Nothing further was ever heard from Wisner, and he was declared dead on 24 December 1942.
INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS Purple Heart	LAST KNOWN RANK Marine Gunner	STATUS OF REMAINS Not recovered	MEMORIALS Mount Olive Cemetery, Ashley County, AR Manila American Cemetery