Buel Robert James

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Robert James Buel is honored on the following 1 monument(s) in our database:

2LT Robert Buel Memorial Marker - Austrialian Defense

Name:

Robert James Buel

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-424901

Unit:

21st Pursuit Squadron, 35th Pursuit Group

Date of Death:

1942-02-15

State:

California

Cemetery:

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, , Philippines

Plot:

Wall of the Missing

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Purple Heart

Comments:

Born 28 Sep 1917 in
Sacramento, California.
Lt. Buel was killed in action in the Timor Sea north or northwest of Bathurst Island (near Darwin, Australia) on 15 Feb 1942. Flying a P-40 Kittyhawk, he was the sole American pilot to attack a Japanese Kawanishi flying boat which had bombed a U.S. Navy convoy that included the USS Houston. After an exchange of gunfire , both aircraft were shot down and crashed in the water with no survivors. His body was not recovered and this action was witnessed by crews of the U.S. Navy convoy.