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| Lt. Martin Mahannah was a Brewster Buffalo pilot at the Battle of Midway where he earned the Navy Cross. |
Today the WW2 Fallen 100 project profiled two servicemen instead of the normal one. Be sure to read about D-Day LCT pilot John Anderson, MIA for 71 years, here.
Martin Edward Mahannah never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Martin Edward Mahannah never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Martin was born on September 25, 1919 in Wichita, Kansas. His parents Jefferson and Gertrude were born in Illinois and Kansas, respectively. His father worked as a farmer and later as a chemist at an oil refinery. Martin had two older brothers.
Martin enlisted in the US Marine Corps Reserve in February 1940 at St. Louis, Missouri. After completing boot camp in San Diego, he was assigned to HQ Company, Second Battalion, Eighth Marines. In 1941, he entered aviation training and qualified as a fighter pilot and received his gold Navy wings and a Second Lieutenant's commission in 1942. His first posting as a Marine Corps pilot was with Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221) on Midway Island in May 1942, flying F2A-3 Brewster Buffalo fighter aircraft. The obsolete Buffalos, unaffectionately referred to as “Flying Coffins” by their pilots, were cast-offs from US Navy carriers that had re-equipped their air groups with the best front-line Navy fighters available.
Barely a week after 2nd Lt. Mahannah’s arrival on Midway, on the morning of 4 June 1942, carrier based aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy set out to attack Midway Island to soften it up for an approaching invasion fleet. The 25 aircraft of VMF-221 took off at 0600 to intercept the incoming force of 76 enemy bombers and 36 A6M Zero fighters. The squadron was a mix of regular USMC pilots, with limited operational experience, and newly arrived green pilots like 2nd Lt. Mahannah. With the advantage of radar early warning and guidance, the Marine fighters were able to climb above the incoming Japanese formation undetected. When they were about forty miles out from Midway, the USMC aircraft entered a steep dive and poured machine gun fire into the waves of enemy aircraft. The Marines shot down and damaged several Japanese bombers before the escorting Zero fighters were on them like a swarm of angry hornets. The pilots of VMF-221 fought bravely but were heavily outnumbered and their obsolete aircraft were no match for the highly skilled and combat experienced Japanese pilots and their faster and more agile Zero fighter aircraft. By the time the battle ended, only four of the Marine aircraft were still in commission.
As the dogfighting aircraft approached Midway, an observer on the ground witnessed a Buffalo cut across the northeast tip of Eastern Island to help out another Marine aircraft. The Buffalo was attacked and damaged by a Zero fighter and the pilot was forced to bail out. The observer watched as two Zeros strafed the pilot as he descended under his parachute. Several days later, one of Midway's patrol boats spotted a body that had washed up on the reef. The remains were identified as being 2nd Lt. Mahannah. A Navy corpsman who examined the body determined that he had indeed been strafed after jumping from his aircraft, either in his parachute or on the reef. It is unknown what happened to 2nd Lt. Mahannah's remains, he was either buried on Midway and the site lost, or he was buried at sea.
2nd Lt. Mahannah was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions over Midway. His citation reads as follows:
The Navy Cross is presented to Martin E. Mahannah, Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous devotion to duty as a Pilot in Marine Fighting Squadron TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE (VMF-221), in action against enemy Japanese forces during the Battle of Midway, June 4, 1942. Delivering a dauntless and aggressive attack against a vastly superior number of Japanese bomber and fighter planes, Second Lieutenant Mahannah aided in disrupting the plans of the enemy and lessening of the effectiveness of their attack, thereby contributing materially to the success of our forces. As a result of his courageous and daring tactics and because of the circumstances attendant upon this engagement, there can be little doubt that Second Lieutenant Mahannah gallantly gave up his life in the service of his country. He displayed the characteristics of an excellent airman in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Martin Edward Mahannah is memorialized in the Honolulu Cemetery Courts of the Missing in Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as in Hillside Cemetery in his home town of Sedgwick, Kansas. Martin’s older brother Lynn Mahannah served as a B-25 pilot in the Fifth Air Force and was killed in action in April 1945.
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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."
Urho Pitkamaki, 45th Infantry Division, was born one year earlier to the date as Martin Mahannah. You can read about Urho here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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