William Henry Hronek, Jr. Full Narrative

William Henry Hronek, Jr. was born on August 3, 1919 in North Bend, Washington. He attended grade school at Snoqualmie Falls and he joined Boy Scout Troop 492 in 1931. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1936, and according to his parents, he enjoyed outdoor sports such as golf and mountain climbing. Hronek worked during the summers at the company store his father managed, and as a floor salesman in Seattle. He graduated from Snoqualmie High School in 1937. Hronek attended Washington State College (WSC) from 1937 to 1941, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. While at WSC, he trained in the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP). Hronek became engaged to Marianne Busch, a WSC speech major. Following his graduation from WSC, Hronek joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant, USMCR, on May 23, 1942. He became a Naval Aviator on July 3, 1942. Assigned to Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 132, known as "The Crying Red Asses," he left for the South Pacific in October 1942. Hronek received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions as a pilot against Japanese forces from November 5 to December 24, 1942, at Guadalcanal. On the morning of January 23, 1943, in the New Hebrides Islands, Hronek waited on a runway to taken an aerologist up for a weather scouting report. With limited vision, a plane taking off hit Hronek's head-on, and both pilots were killed instantly. He is interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is memorialized on the WSU Veterans Memorial as well as the Snoqualmie Valley Veterans' Memorial.