Question: How many Japanese aircraft were annihilated by the Marine Corps ' Medal of Honor recipient Lieutenant Colonel ?

text: List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
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This is a list of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II. The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States or an opposing foreign force. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously. World War II, or the Second World War, was a global military conflict, the joining of what had initially been two separate conflicts. The first began in Asia in 1937 as the Second Sino-Japanese War; the other began in Europe in 1939 with the German and Soviet invasion of Poland. This global conflict split the majority of the world's nations into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. The United States was drawn into World War II on December 8, 1941, a day after the Axis-member Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Honolulu that killed almost 2,500 people in what was considered the biggest peacetime loss on American soil inflicted by foreign people at that time. For actions during World War II, 472 United States military personnel received the Medal of Honor. Seventeen of these were Japanese-Americans fighting in both Europe and the Pacific, many of which were upgraded from Distinguished Service Crosses during the Clinton administration. Additionally, Douglas Albert Munro was the only serviceman from the United States Coast Guard in United States military history to receive the Medal for his actions during the war. The earliest action for which a U.S. serviceman earned a World War II Medal of Honor was the attack on Pearl Harbor, for which 17 U.S. servicemen were awarded a Medal, although they did so while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force rather than enemy since the United States was neutral during the events of December 7, 1941.
Name Service Rank Place of action Date of action Notes
Kenneth D. Bailey † Marine Corps Major Henderson Field , Guadalcanal , Solomon Islands September 12 , 1942 - September 13 , 1942 For repelling enemy offensive maneuvers , holding the main line and upholding friendly morale while sustaining fire from superior enemy forces despite a severe head wound
Addison E. Baker † Air Forces Lieutenant Colonel over Ploiești , Romania ( Operation Tidal Wave ) August 1 , 1943 For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy on August 1 , 1943 . On this date he led his command , the 93d Heavy Bombardment Group , on a daring low-level attack against enemy oil refineries and installations at Ploiești , Romania
Thomas A. Baker † Army Private Saipan , Mariana Islands June 19 , 1944 - July 7 , 1944 On Saipan in the Marianas Islands , he advanced ahead of his unit with a bazooka and destroyed a Japanese emplacement which was firing on his company . Several days later , he single-handedly attacked and killed two groups of Japanese soldiers . On July 7 , Baker 's position came under attack by a large Japanese force . Although seriously wounded early in the attack , he refused to be evacuated and continued to fight in the close-range battle until running out of ammunition . When a comrade was wounded while trying to carry him to safety , Baker insisted that he be left behind . At his request , his comrades left him propped against a tree and gave him a pistol , which had eight bullets remaining . When American forces retook the position , they found the pistol , now empty , and eight dead Japanese soldiers around Baker 's body
Vernon J. Baker Army Second Lieutenant near Viareggio , Italy April 5 , 1945 - April 6 , 1945 Demonstrated outstanding courage and leadership in destroying enemy installations , personnel and equipment during his company 's attack against a strongly entrenched enemy in mountainous terrain . One of seven African American soldiers who received their medals belatedly , after a 1993 study revealed discrimination that caused them to be overlooked at the time
Van T. Barfoot Army Technical Sergeant near Carano , Italy May 23 , 1944
Carlton W. Barrett Army Private near St. Laurent-sur-Mer , France June 6 , 1944 Joined the United States Army in Albany , New York , he was a member of , 18th Infantry , 1st Infantry Division . Barrett was one of four Medal of Honor recipients on D-Day , June 6 , 1944
John Basilone Marine Corps Sergeant Lunga area , Guadalcanal , Solomon Islands October 24 , 1942 - October 25 , 1942 On the night of October 24-25 , 1942 his unit engaged the Japanese in the Lunga area when their position came under attack by a regiment of approximately 3,000 soldiers . The Japanese forces began a frontal attack using machine guns , grenades and mortars against the American heavy machine guns . Basilone commanded two sections of machine guns that fought for the next 48 hours until only Basilone and two other men were still able to continue fighting . Basilone moved an extra gun into position and maintained continual fire against the incoming Japanese forces . He repaired another machine-gun and personally manned it , holding the defensive line until replacements arrived . With the continuous fighting , ammunition became critically low and supply lines were cut off . Basilone fought through hostile lines and returned with urgently needed ammunition for his gunners . He was killed on Iwo Jima on February 19 , 1945 . He was the first Enlisted Marine to receive The Medal of Honor , Purple Heart , and The Navy Cross
Harold W. Bauer † Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel South Pacific area May 10 , 1942 - November 14 , 1942 For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous courage as Squadron Commander of Marine Fighting Squadron TWO TWELVE in the South Pacific Area during the period May 10 to November 14 , 1942
Lewis K. Bausell † Marine Corps Corporal Peleliu Island , Palau Group September 15 , 1944 During combat at Peleliu , he covered an exploding Japanese hand grenade in order to protect his comrades , and died of his wounds three days later . Bausell was the only enlisted Marine from the Nation 's capital , Washington , D.C. to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions during World War II
Raymond O. Beaudoin † Army First Lieutenant Hamelin , Germany April 6 , 1945 By his intrepidity , great fighting skill , and supreme devotion to his responsibility for the well-being of his platoon , 1st Lt. Beaudoin single-handedly accomplished a mission that enabled a messenger to secure help which saved the stricken unit and made possible the decisive defeat of the German forces
Bernard P. Bell Army Technical Sergeant Mittelwihr , France December 18 , 1944 By his intrepidity and bold , aggressive leadership , T/Sgt . Bell enabled his 8-man squad to drive back approximately 150 of the enemy , killing at least 87 and capturing 42 . Personally , he killed more than 20 and captured 33 prisoners
Stanley Bender Army Staff Sergeant near La Lande , France August 17 , 1944 He had sparked and led the assault company in an attack which overwhelmed the enemy , destroying a roadblock , taking a town , seizing intact 3 bridges over the Maravenne River , and capturing commanding terrain which dominated the area
George Benjamin , Jr. † Army Private First Class Leyte , Philippines December 21 , 1944 He was severely wounded while leading an assault against a strongly defended Japanese position on the island of Leyte . After being evacuated to an aid station , he conveyed valuable information regarding the disposition of the Japanese emplacement to his superiors
Edward A. Bennett Army Corporal Heckhuscheid , Germany February 1 , 1945 The fearless initiative , stalwart combat ability , and outstanding gallantry of Cpl . Bennett eliminated the enemy fire which was decimating his company 's ranks and made it possible for the Americans to sweep all resistance from the town
Mervyn S. Bennion † Navy Captain West Virginia , Pearl Harbor December 7 , 1941 While mortally wounded , he remained in command of his ship . For conspicuous devotion to duty , extraordinary courage , and complete disregard of his own life , he was awarded the Medal of Honor
Charles J. Berry † Marine Corps Corporal Iwo Jima , Volcano Islands March 3 , 1945 He landed on Iwo Jima on D-Day , February 19 , 1945 , and was killed in action on March 3 , 1945 , during the action which earned him the Medal of Honor
Vito R. Bertoldo Army Master Sergeant Hatten , France January 9 , 1945 - January 10 , 1945 In Hatten , France , he manned a machine gun in defense of a command post being attacked by a numerically superior German force . When evacuation became necessary , he voluntarily stayed behind to cover the withdrawal . The next morning he moved to another command post , and again defended it against a continued assault by strong German forces and voluntarily covered the withdrawal of friendly forces when the post was abandoned . For these actions , he was awarded the Medal of Honor one year later , on January 10 , 1946
Arthur O. Beyer Army Corporal near Arloncourt , Belgium January 15 , 1945 Near Arloncourt , Belgium , he used hand grenades and his carbine to single-handedly destroy two German machine gun positions before working his way through a honey-combed series of enemy foxholes - killing and capturing German soldiers as he went . For these actions , he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman seven months later , on August 30 , 1945
Willibald C. Bianchi † Army First Lieutenant near Bagac , Bataan Province , Philippines February 3 , 1942 After the action near Bagac in the Bataan Province , Bianchi was among the troops captured by the Japanese at the fall of Bataan , on April 9 , 1942 . He was part of the Bataan Death March , and was imprisoned in several Japanese prisoner of war camps , enduring horrible conditions . He was known for his compassion and efforts to better the lot of his fellow prisoners by bartering with their captors for extra food and medicine . On January 9 , 1945 , while imprisoned in an unmarked Japanese prison ship , Bianchi was killed instantly when an American plane , unaware that the ship contained American prisoners , dropped a 1,000-pound bomb in the cargo hold
Melvin E. Biddle Army Private First Class near Soy , Belgium December 23 , 1944 - December 24 , 1944 When presenting the medal to Biddle , Truman whispered People do n't believe me when I tell them that I 'd rather have one of these than be President . Biddle was decorated with 17 other soldiers that served in the Eastern Theater of Operations