In December 1941, then Major Walter L. J. Bayler became the "Last Man off Wake Island" because it was imperative that the Marine Corps remove him before the fall of Wake because he was one of the few Marine Corps officers that had experience establishing air-ground communications networks and he also had knowledge of the United States' still top secret radar program. Bayler was later sent to Midway to establish radar posts and fighter direction networks to support the 6th Defense Battalion prior to the Battle of Midway. Bayler flew into Guadalcanal himself, piloting a Grumman J2F Duck on August 29, 1942. Serving as the communications officer for Marine Aircraft Group 23, his mission once again was to establish air-to-ground communications facilities.