Clyde Erwin VanDusen was born in Malvern, Arkansas on 26 June 1921. He was the oldest child of Clyde and Alma VanDusen, and grew up in Hot Spring County with his younger siblings.

Clyde attended Malvern High School, where he was elected president of the 1939 senior class. He went on to study at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville before dropping out to join the Navy.

Clyde VanDusen (he dropped “Erwin” for his military service) enlisted in the Navy in 1942, hoping to become a pilot. He completed his flight training at NATC Corpus Christi, and was given a commission as a Marine Corps second lieutenant on 23 March 1943.

In July 1943, Lieutenant VanDusen transferred to VMSB-231, a scout-bombing squadron back in the States from a tour of duty at Guadalcanal. Shortly thereafter, the squadron deployed to Midway for patrol duty and to train the replacement pilots.

On 15 October 1943, Second Lieutenant VanDusen and PFC Eugene W. Hambrecht boarded a Dauntless bomber (SBD-5 28303) for routine night-flying training. The engine failed shortly after takeoff, and the big plane slammed into the water a thousand yards offshore of Eastern Island.

A crash boat sped to the scene and pulled PFC Hambrecht from the water. There was no trace of VanDusen; he went down with the plane, and was never seen again. His body was never recovered.

“Statement of PFC Eugene W. Hambrecht, USMCR, aerial gunner, on plane with Lt. VanDusen, states pilot sank with plane. Hambrecht submerged with plane but was able to clear himself from the wreckage. He states he called and looked for Lt. VanDusen but could neither see nor hear him.”
– excerpt from Lt. Vandusen’s USMC casualty card

CENOTAPHS

Tablets of the Missing, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific