Henry T . Elrod Marine Corps service . Elrod was born on September 27 , 1905 , in Turner County , Georgia . He enlisted in the Marine Corps in December 1927 , and was appointed a Marine second lieutenant in February 1931 . He attended the University of Georgia and Yale University prior to his entry into the Marine Corps . Following over a year at the Marine Corps Basic School in Philadelphia as a student aviator , Lieutenant Elrod was ordered to the Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida . There he served as a company officer and as student aviator . In February 1935 , he earned his wings and was transferred to Marine Corps Base Quantico , where he served as a Marine Aviator until January 1938 . In addition to his other duties , he was his squadron ’ s school , personnel , and welfare officer . In July 1938 , Elrod was ordered to a squadron in San Diego and served as their material , parachute , and personnel officer until January 1941 , when he was detached to the Hawaiian area . On December 4 , 1941 , Captain Elrod flew to Wake Island with twelve aircraft , twelve pilots , and the ground crew of Major Paul Putnam ' s fighter squadron , VMF - 211 . Hostilities in the air over Wake Island commenced on December 8 , 1941 . On December 12 , he single - handedly attacked a flight of 22 enemy planes and shot down two . He executed several low - altitude bombing and strafing runs on enemy ships ; during one of these attacks , he became the first man to sink a warship , the Japanese destroyer " Kisaragi " , with small caliber bombs delivered from a fighter aircraft . When all the U . S . aircraft had been destroyed by hostile fire , he organized remaining troops into a beach defense unit which repulsed repeated Japanese attacks . On December 23 , 1941 , Captain Elrod was mortally wounded while protecting his men who were carrying ammunition to a gun emplacement . He was posthumously promoted to Major on November 8 , 1946 , and his widow was presented with the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the defense of Wake Island . His widow is also a former commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps . Major Elrod was initially buried on Wake Island , but was reinterred in Arlington National Cemetery in October 1947 . His grave can be found in Section 12 , Grave 3246 . Surviving aircraft parts . Parts of Maj , Elrod ' s F4F - 3 " Mike Fox 11 " ( BuNo . 4019 ) , including the aircraft ' s cowling nose ring , tailhook , and propeller , were believed to have been used in a memorial constructed on Wake Island . When the memorial was dismantled around 1965 the aircraft parts were sent to the Marine Corps Museum . When the National Air and Space Museum restored its FM - 1 Wildcat the only cowling nose ring that could be located was the one taken from the Wake Island memorial . This part , still bearing battle damage , was incorporated into the restored FM - 1 now on display in Washington , D . C . Posthumous honors . The main road leading in to the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School is named after Elrod . The City of Ashburn , the County Seat for Turner County , has built an outdoor park on E . Washington Avenue . The park and a building next door will be dedicated to Mr . Elrod on Oct . The building will be the Henry Elrod Welcome Center and will be available for public use . A City park in the City of Rebecca in northeast Turner County is also named for Elrod . He grew up near Rebecca . The U . S . Navy " Oliver Hazard Perry " - class frigate , , is named in his honor . A street on board the Marine Corps Air Station , Miramar , California , at San Diego , is named after Elrod . Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to CAPTAIN HENRY T . ELROD UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS for service as set forth in the following CITATION : / S / HARRY S . TRUMAN