John C. Waldron Memorial Dedication

World War II hero of the "Battle of Midway" John C. Waldron will be honored with a memorial dedication at the Pierre Municipal Airport on Friday, June 3rd at 5:30 p.m. The event is open to the public.

 

The ceremony will feature the dedication of "Dakota Warrior", an original print of the Douglas TBD-1 Devastator flown by LCDR Waldron during the Battle of Midway. The dedication coincides with the 74th anniversary of the historic event which took place June 3 through 7, 1942.

 

Waldron grew up in Fort Pierre, graduated from the Naval Academy and has an Oglala-Lakota heritage. Dubbed a hero by numerous war historians, Waldron led fifteen aircraft to an attack of the Japanese carrier fleet during the Battle of Midway. Although Waldron and 29 of the 30 American crew members lost their lives during the attack, his squadron played a crucial role in finding the Japanese fleet which allowed US Naval forces to eventually claim victory in the Pacific.

 

The Waldron memorial consists of artwork created by award-winning artist and filmmaker John Mollison, who is originally from Pierre. The piece was specially commissioned by Dr. Dave West of Sioux Falls.

 

Weather permitting, World War II aircraft may do a fly over earlier in the day and be available for public viewing after the ceremony.