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| Pfc William Takala was a B-17 gunner who was awarded the Silver Star at the Battle of Midway. |
William was born on November 30, 1918 in St. Louis County, Minnesota. His parents Valentine and Lezli were both born in Finland. He had one older brother, three older sisters, and one younger brother. His father passed away in 1926 and his mother remarried sometime before 1930.
William joined the US Army and in May 1940 was a PFC in the 10th Field Artillery stationed at Ft. Lewis, Washington. He apparently was discharged at some point, and according to his headstone application re-enlisted in December 1941.
I can’t find any record of his service between his enlistment and June 1942, but he was awarded the Silver Star for his involvement in the Battle of Midway. His citation reads:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class William A. Takala (ASN: 6575590), United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action as a combat crew member of a United States Heavy Bomber in the 1st Provisional Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), attached to the 42d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), SEVENTH Air Force, in the Battle of Midway between 3 and 7 June 1942.
During the crucial Battle of Midway, often referred to as the turning point in the war in the Pacific, B-17 Flying Fortresses flying from Midway Island played a role in locating and tracking the Japanese invasion fleet headed for the island. The B-17s from Midway also made bombing runs against the Japanese aircraft carriers and transports but were largely ineffective due to their limited numbers. Presumably, PFC Takala took part in some of these missions.
At some point after the Battle of Midway, PFC Takala was evidently transferred to the 93rd Bomber Squadron of the 19th Bomber Group, which was based in Papua New Guinea, an island to the north of Australia. On August 9, 1942 PFC Takala was a gunner aboard B-17E 41-2643, which took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a bombing mission against Japanese forces at Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. Due to engine trouble the plane lagged behind the other bombers during the last few minutes before reaching the target and was attacked by a large number of Japanese fighter aircraft. After leaving the target area, the B-17 was last observed losing altitude while fighting off repeated enemy attacks. The aircraft eventually crashed near Kabanga Bay, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. There were no survivors.
William Albert Takala is buried in Alango Cemetery in Angora, St. Louis County, Minnesota. Both of his brothers also served in the Army during WW2 and survived the war.
Thank you William for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for William.
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This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them."
Last year on this date I profiled Flying Tiger ace Frank Schiel. You can read about Frank here.
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