Harold W . Bauer Lieutenant Colonel Harold William Bauer , commonly referred to as " Joe " Bauer , ( November 20 , 1908 – November 14 , 1942 ) was a United States Marine Corps air group commander and fighter pilot ace credited with destroying 11 Japanese aircraft during World War II . He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as a fighter squadron commander during the crucial struggle for the control of the Solomons at the Battle of Guadalcanal . Early years . Harold William Bauer was born in Woodruff , Kansas on November 20 , 1908 and grew up in North Platte , Nebraska . He was the son of Volga German immigrants and had two brothers and two sisters . In high school , he played football , track and baseball . Military career . Early career . He entered the Naval Academy in 1926 and was appointed a Marine second lieutenant upon graduation in 1930 . Bauer ' s two younger brothers also followed him into the Academy . Following his commissioning , Bauer attended the Officers Basic School at Quantico , Virginia . He was then assigned as a company officer with the 1st Battalion , 6th Marines at Quantico . In 1932 , he became assistant basketball and lacrosse coach at the Naval Academy and an instructor in marksmanship , until his assignment to the San Diego Naval Base , where he was the Assistant Range Officer . He was promoted to first lieutenant on May 29 , 1934 . He was then assigned to the Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida , in December 1934 where he earned his wings as a Marine aviator in February 1936 . He was promoted to captain on June 30 , 1937 and served with several squadrons at Quantico including Marine Scouting Squadron 1 ( VMS - 1 ) and Marine Fighting Squadron 1 ( VMF - 1 ) . Bauer was transferred to the Naval Air Station San Diego , California , in June 1940 where he served as executive officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 221 ( VMF - 221 ) . While stationed at San Diego , he participated in carrier group exercises on the and . The December 7 , 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor found Bauer and VMF - 221 preparing to embark aboard the " Saratoga " for transport to Hawaii . World War II . Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , Bauer and VMF - 221 were transported to Hawaii and were slated to reinforce Wake Island , but were diverted to Midway after Wake fell . Transferred to Hawaii in February 1942 , Bauer took command of Marine Fighting Squadron Two Eleven , stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa , and on March 1 , 1942 commissioned and took command of Marine Fighting Squadron Two Twelve ( VMF - 212 ) . Promoted to major on April 29 , 1942 , Bauer and VMF - 212 were deployed to the South Pacific and were stationed at New Caledonia , and later Efate , Vanuatu . Although still the commanding officer of VMF - 212 , Bauer was also responsible for the operation of the airfield the squadron operated from and was utilized to select possible sites for additional airfields in the South Pacific . Bauer ' s promotion to lieutenant colonel , after only three months as a major , was effective August 7 . On September 28 , 1942 , Bauer performed the first feat cited for the Medal of Honor . His squadron was attacked by a superior force of Japanese planes . He engaged the enemy and shot down one of their bombers . Again attacking a superior force on October 3 , he shot down four of the enemy and left a fifth badly damaged . While leading a reinforcement flight on October 16 , from Espirito Santo , Vanuatu to Guadalcanal , 600 miles away , Bauer was about to land at Henderson Field when he noticed a squadron of Japanese planes attacking the offshore . Though the long flight from Espirito Santo had almost exhausted his fuel and he knew no friendly planes were able to assist him , he immediately proceeded alone to attack the enemy and succeeded in destroying four of them before lack of gasoline forced him to return to Henderson Field . On November 14 , he was shot down over water after downing two enemy aircraft in an attack off Guadalcanal . He was seen in the water in his Mae West water flotation device as light was fading . He did not appear to be seriously hurt . The following morning began days of intense searching by planes and Russell Island natives , but no further trace of him was found . The squadron under his command at Guadalcanal was officially credited with downing 92 Japanese planes and helping to sink two destroyers . Lieutenant Colonel Bauer was commended for his action in the South Pacific by commanders of Army , Navy and Marine Corps units including Admiral William F . Halsey , Jr . , then Commander of the South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force . Bauerfield International Airport in Port Vila , Vanuatu is named in his honor . Medals and decorations . Bauer ' s medals and decorations include : Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to LIEUTENANT COLONEL HAROLD W . BAUER UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS for service as set forth in the following CITATION : / S / FRANKLIN D . ROOSEVELT