Ledyard Bailey Hazlewood

Ledyard Hazlewood was born in New York City on 19 November 1920. He spent his early childhood in Sloatsburg, a village in Rockland County, with his parents (Theodore and Dorothy) and younger sister (Anne). In the mid-1930s, the Hazlewoods moved to Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Ledyard was a well-known student at Ridgewood High – boxing, football, school newspaper, student council – and “suddenly woke up one morning to find himself president of the up-and-coming senior class.” He graduated in 1938 and was accepted to Princeton University. “Ledge” was no more a slouch in college, and was active in multiple clubs, football, cheerleading, and made the dean’s list three times. He graduated in 1942 with a degree in geology.

Ledge’s post-Princeton plans included geological surveying, forestry, or aircraft. This last interest was doubtless due in part to his father, Theodore, who flew for the Royal Air Force during the Great War. The attack on Pearl Harbor pushed aviation to the forefront and he joined the Navy Reserve on 9 January 1942, in the middle of his senior year. A few months later, he reported for flight training at Jacksonville, Florida, where he earned his wings. Hazlewood also accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve effective 13 October 1942.

Lieutenant Hazlewood deployed overseas with VMF-214, a Marine fighter squadron known as “the Swashbucklers.” He flew two combat tours with this squadron, logging well over 100 hours of cockpit time, battling bouts of malaria, and shooting down two Japanese Zeros in aerial combat.

In October 1943, Hazlewood was transferred to VMF-215 and began flying combat missions in the northern Solomon Islands.

Lieutenant Hazlewood was slated for a day of rest on 15 November 1943. However, when 1Lt. Harold Spears reported to sick bay with a head cold, “Ledge” was tapped to stand in as division leader for a combat mission to Bougainville. At 1310, two divisions of Corsairs took off from Vella Lavella and formed up for a patrol over Empress Augusta Bay.

After scouring the skies over western Bougainville, the flight was directed to the northeast coast on a search for targets of opportunity. As they passed Kieta Harbor, a Japanese 20mm antiaircraft gun opened fire. The Marines swung around to strafe the position, and Lieutenant Hazlewood’s Corsair was observed turning sharply to the left. He winged over and headed straight down, slamming into the water near Kieta. The Corsair exploded on impact; no parachute was seen.

The surviving pilots shot up the harbor area and returned to Vella Lavella at 1700 hours. They reported Lieutenant Hazlewood as shot down by the enemy AA gun, and he was listed as missing in action.

Ledge Hazlewood was declared dead on 16 November 1944. He received a posthumous promotion to the rank of Captain, and an Air Medal for meritorious achievement in the Solomon Islands.

CENOTAPHS
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial