Group to LCDR Hadley Lewis, US Navy

Group of five to LCDR Hadley M. Lewis, USNR: Distinguished Flying Cross, slot brooch, machine-engraved “To/LT/Hadley McCoy/Lewis, USNR/For Heroism/in aerial combat as/Aircraft commander over/Borneo, Tawi Tawi and/Celebes in which/He sank one/and hit two/Enemy/vessels”; Air Medal, wrap brooch, Army strike, machine-engraved “LT Hadley/McCoy Lewis/USNR/Guadalcanal/Solomons/1942-43″; American Defense Service Medal, slot brooch; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, with 3 stars; World War II Victory Medal, slot brooch. With Naval Aviator wings, pin-back, marked by Balfour; original citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lewis for conducting “highly successful attacks on strongly escorted enemy shipping and a low level attack on an enemy airfield…These daring and courageous attacks were made entirely on his own initiative, at extreme range from his home base and in the face of intense heavy caliber antiaircraft fire from shore installations and warships…one ship was definitely destroyed, two ships severely damaged and one left dead in the water, two…aircraft destroyed and an enemy airfield damaged…”, signed by VADM Thomas Kincaid (folded); the original citation for his first Air Medal for “Taking off on dangerous night-flying missions, often in the face of hazardous weather conditions, Lieutenant Lewis successfully carried out numerous search, convoy and harassing flights against enemy ships and airfield installations at Munda Point and Vila Plantation despite heavy anti-aircraft fire” (signed by Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy); the original citation for his third Air Medal “for meritorious achievement in aerial flight as a Patrol Plane Commander in Patrol Squadron Twelve during operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands Area from December 24, 1942, to May 12, 1943. Completing his fifteenth mission during this period, Lieutenant Commander (then Lieutenant) Lewis engaged in search, convoy and harassing flights against enemy surface ships and airfield installations at Munda and, on several occasions, piloted the spotting plane which provided spots for night surface shellings of enemy installations…”. With photocopied award cards.

LCDR Lewis flew with VP-12, “Black Cats”, which flew PBY-5A Catalinas painted flat black. They flew night reconnaissance and attack missions against Japanese shipping. Lewis was born in 1913 and died in 1998.