William Bernard Sandoval
Second Lieutenant William B. “Bill” Sandoval was a Marine Corps pilot who flew with VMF-221.
He was shot down and reported missing in the battle of Midway on 4 June 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-7539
Current Status
Remains not recovered.
Pursuit Category
Based on circumstances of loss, this individual is considered permanently non-recoverable.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
September 8, 1920
at Los Angeles, CA
Parents
Paulino “Paul” Sandoval
Refugia (Mendoza) Sandoval
Education
Huntington Park High School (1939)
Compton Junior College (1941)
Occupation & Employer
Student
Service Life
Entered Service
April 9, 1941 (enlisted)
October 20, 1941 (officer)
Home Of Record
2442 Hill Street
Huntington Park, CA
Next Of Kin
Mother, Mrs. Refugia Sanfoval
Military Specialty
Pilot
Parachute Officer
Primary Unit
VMF-221
Campaigns Served
Midway
Individual Decorations
Navy Cross
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
Sandoval was credited with one aerial victory.
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Second Lieutenant Sandoval was a Marine Corps fighter pilot assigned to VMF-221. His squadron was based at Midway Island in early 1942; Sandoval flew an outdated F2A-3 “Buffalo” fighter and was the wingman of Captain Kirk Armistead, leader of 3 Division. On the ground, Lieutenant Sandoval served as the squadron’s Parachute Officer.
At 0600 hours on 4 June 1942, Major Floyd B. Parks led the squadron aloft to intercept a large group of Japanese fighters and bombers bearing down on Midway. The 3 Division followed Captain Armistead into an orbit pattern over Midway itself in case more Japanese planes appeared from another direction. Within minutes, however, they were vectored into the dogfight and radar “could no longer differentiate between friend and foe.”
Armistead’s 3 Division peeled off and worked over both flanks of a Japanese bomber formation. Second Lieutenant William V. Brooks recalled how “Sandoval went down the right side of the formation, and I followed. One of us got a plane from the right side of the ‘vee.'” Brooks lost sight of Sandoval while pulling out of his run. Second Lieutenant Charles Kunz caught a glimpse of this attack as he made his own approach. His statement is as close as one may get to an eyewitness account of Sandoval’s last moments.
When Sandoval’s F2A-3 #01563 failed to return to Midway, he was reported as missing in action – a status that endured until an official declaration of death on 5 June 1943. His fellow pilots knew the truth, however, as made clear by a statement from Lieutenant Brooks: “It is my express desire that Lt. Sandoval, deceased, be logged up with the bomber which one of us got in our first run.”
Burial Information or Disposition
Shot down at sea; remains not recovered.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of mother, Mrs. Refugia Sandoval.
Location Of Loss
Sandoval was shot down at an unspecified point after departing from Midway.
