Death On February 2, 1944 Vernon M. Clogston and his crew took off from Nadzab Airfield (#1) at 11: 41 pm for a bombing mission in Hollandia, New Guinea. They were last seen right before the aircraft took off. It was reported that the aircraft crashed due to stormy weather. When Hit Parader did not returned to base, the group was declared Missing in Action (MIA) on February 28, 1944. On March 14, 1944 Mrs. Lilla M Clogston got a telegram from the War Department. The telegram stated that her son, Vernon M Clogston, had been reported missing in action since February of that year.
Due to Vernon M. Clogston being declared MIA on February 2, 1944, he was not officially declared dead by the military until March 7, 1946. He is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing in Manila American Cemetery. Clogston remains were declared non-recoverable. Vernon M. Clogston was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart for his service in the military. |