Harold A. (“Clem”) Clemetsen passed away in East Lansing, Michigan on February 26, 2008, just a month shy of his 89 th birthday. After his military service he moved to New Jersey where he worked as an industrial chemical sales representative responsible for accounts throughout the eastern United States. Upon retirement, he and his wife Betsy, (who preceded him in death) returned to East Lansing. An ardent community supporter, Harold was an active member of Kiwanis International for over 40 years, including a stint as President while living in New Jersey. Harold learned to fly at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan in the early 40s, before he joined the Marines. While he was challenged with numerous health issues prior to his death, including recovering from two major strokes and very limited vision, Harold’s eyes still lit up and a smile punctuated his face when he was reminded of his Marine Corps service and his glory days soaring the “wild blue” over the South Pacific in 1944. Harold toured this website for the first and only time on the 4 th of July in 2007 and was delighted with all of the memories it brought back. But what he was most excited about was the fact that all of the “boys’ were together once again. And for this tour of duty, forever. (3/10/08)

Vance A. ("Val") Lahey. Married June Rose Campbell on May 14, 1948, in Tucumcari, New Mexico. He was a farmer and rancher and was especially fond of his favorite horse “Whip.” He served as a member of the Federal Land Bank for 12 years. He was also an avid fan of dirt track racing. Vance was an active member of the United Methodist Church in Moscow and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Masonic Lodge (both of Hugoton, Kansas). He received his 60-year Masonic pin in 2006. Vance passed away, at the age of 84, on October 14, 2006 in Wichita, Kansas.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Simon L. (“Spider”) Webb. A former Marine Corps Reserve Lt. Col, retired Army Reserve Lt.Col., and veteran of the battles for the Solomon Islands in early WW2, now lives in Oxford, MS. A Helena, AR native who graduated from high school in 1936, he attended Notre Dame two years and transferred to Ole Miss in 1939 where he met his future wife Dorothy Ann Thompson of Laurel, MS. They married in 1944 and she died in 1987. Their two children are Tom Webb of Collierville, TN and Sally Boteler of Upper Arlington, OH.

Rather than being drafted he enlisted in the Navy V5 Naval Aviator program in July 1941 and chose a commission in the Marine Corps on graduation. He flew the Douglas Dauntless SBD dive-bomber with Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 243 for two combat tours in the Solomon Islands campaigns in 1943-44, and one as Flight Officer of Squadron 244. His squadron call sign Spider became his nickname.

Flying from Munda Point on New Georgia, Piva Yoke on Bougainville and Green Island, VMSB-243 supported the Third Marine Division landing on Bougainville and bombed most of the Japanese airfields supporting Japanese efforts to stem the American advance. Their toughest target was Rabaul on New Britain, a major Japanese base with deepwater port and five airfields. It was later isolated and bypassed after McArthur pushed west on New Guinea and the Marines started island hopping in the Central Pacific.

Webb advanced to Captain during WW2 and retrained as a night-fighter flying F7Fs. Promoted to major in 1947 he served as Executive Officer of Reserve Squadron VMF-541 flying F6Fs and F8Fs in Birmingham, AL, then during the Korean affair as a pilot in VMF(N)–531, S2 of MAG-24 and CO of MABS-24. He was promoted to Lt.Col. in 1953, then transferred to the Army Reserve in 1956 to earn Reserve pay and retirement points.

But Once a Marine, always a Marine. He is a life member of the Marine Corps Aviation Association, the Military Officers of America and The Distinguished Flying Cross Society. He retired from Champion International Corp in 1983 and moved from Stratford, CT to Laurel, MS.

At 88, Spider says it all happened long ago and far away, and he’s been telling his war stories so long that he’s beginning to believe some of them. 9/3/07