Walter N Nelson (deceased)

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Walter Nelson was born in Minnesota in 1920 and joined the Navy in 1939. Following three months of training at the Great Lakes boot camp he reported aboard the USS Lexington. He served as a radioman before being transferred to Torpedo Squadron Two. He was trained in aerial gunnery and joined the crew of a TBD Devastator with Ted Wiebe and Lt. Farrington, the pilot. Married just before the Pearl Harbor attack, Nelson missed the attack on December 7 th , as he was ferrying ground crew for a USMC Fighter squadron aboard his TBD to Johnson Island. Nelson remembers watching Butch O'Hare down five aircraft on an early mission. He flew a raid against Japanese forces in New Guinea which destroyed several ships including two heavy cruisers. On May 7, 1942 a large Japanese fleet was sighted in the Coral Sea. Nelson's TBD attacked the Shoho and they put their 'fish' into the Japanese carrier's bow. On May 8th Nelson was in action again, and his squadron was attacked by a large force of Japanese fighters on their return. They were shot at by their own fleet, but somehow managed to get their TBD down on the Lady Lex' deck. With no fuel available due to the fires on board, they would later abandon ship and board the Destroyer Phelps, which would later sink the Lex. Nelson returned to the States after his first combat tour and was later assigned to V17- 17 on the USS Hornet where he served until the end of the War. He rejoined the Navy during the Korean War serving with antisubmarine squadrons in several locations. He retired from the Navy\after 30 years of service. Nelson's awards include the D17C, the Air Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, and the American befense Service Medal. Walter would sadly pass away on the 4th of October, 2014.

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