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Paul Adolphus Westerman

PhM3c Paul A. Westerman was a Navy hospital corpsman attached to Marine Air Group (MAG) 25.
He was killed in a non-combat crash near Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 13 November 1942.

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Branch

Navy Reserve
633 10 96

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

August 28, 1922
at Ringling, OK

Parents

Adolphus Westerman
Esther Vashti (Wallace) Westerman
later Mrs. James W. Jones

Education

Bakersfield High School (1940)

Occupation & Employer

Kern General Hospital

Service Life

Entered Service

May 6, 1942
Los Angeles, CA

Home Of Record

711 Woodrow Avenue
Oildale, CA

Next Of Kin

Mother, Mrs. Esther V. Westerman

Military Specialty

Corpsman

Primary Unit

MAG-25

Campaigns Served

Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal

Individual Decorations

Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

Pharmacist’s Mate Paul Westerman was a corpsman assigned to Marine Air Group 25 at Espiritu Santo. In addition to treating the ailments of MAG-25 personnel, corpsmen boarded cargo planes bound for Guadalcanal. Once unloaded at Henderson Field, wounded soldiers and Marines were taken aboard, and the corpsman provided medical attention until they reached hospital facilities.

On 13 November 1942, Westerman was assigned as flight corpsman for 2Lt. Joseph N. Abel (VMJ-253) on a routine flight to Henderson Field. Weather conditions deteriorated as they approached Guadalcanal; by 1815 hours, a “blinding rain” was lashing the airfield. The plane (R4D-1 #4696) made a vain attempt to land, then opened the throttle to come around for another pass.

As the big plane crossed over the coastline, it was seen to bank sharply – just before a downdraft flipped it completely upside down. The crew had no chance to recover or bail out, and the plane exploded when it hit the water. Due to the weather – and a crash site  “adjacent to enemy territory” – no rescue efforts could be made.

Burial Information or Disposition

The entire crew was posted as missing in action on 13 November. The four Marines were declared dead as of 11 December 1943; Westerman was not determined until 10 December 1945.

No remains were recovered from the crash, although other pilots noticed “on a clear day the wrecked plane can be seen on the bottom of the bay, the water at that point being a depth of 40 feet or less.”

Memorials

Honolulu Memorial, Courts Of The Missing
Note: The rest of the crew is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery.

Next Of Kin Address

Address of mother, Mrs. Esther V. Westerman.

Location Of Loss

Approximate area of the crash site off Guadalcanal’s northern coast.

Related Profiles

Lost in crash of R4D-1 4696
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