Horace Seaver Carswell Jr ★ World War II Gold Star Veteran from Texas
On October 26, 1944 Major Carswell was declared a casualty of World War II. ★ He served with honor in the United States Army Air Forces. ★ He is remembered by the people of Texas. ★ May his positive example inspire us. Working together towards peace, mutual respect, and equality for all.
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Click to Submit Update Request for this Fallen Service Member▼ Content Integrity Note
Our displayed data concerning the life and military history of Horace Seaver Carswell Jr is a work in progress. We've assembled a list of elements we are in the process of researching and reviewing. This profile was last edited on 2015-08-28 19:38:00.
Missing : Core Data
· Service number· Enlistment type
· Date of tour or service
Missing : Supplemental Data
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· Parents, family history
· Expanded references and citations
Service Details
| This Profile ID | 319613 |
| Name | Horace Seaver Carswell Jr |
| From | Forth Worth, Tarrant County, Texas |
| Birth Date | July 18, 1916 |
| Casualty Date | October 26, 1944 |
| War | World War II |
| Service Branch | Army Air Forces |
| Rank | Major |
| Specialty | Pilot |
| Unit/Group | 356th Bomb Squadron |
| Casualty Type | Killed in action |
| Location | near South China Sea |
| Burial | Oakwood Cemetery, Fort Worth, Texas |
| Notable Awards |
★ Medal of Honor
★ Distinguished Service Cross
★ Distinguished Flying Cross
★ Air Medal
★ Purple Heart |
Additional Details
He was flying a B-24 Liberator on the night of October 26, 1944, on a single-aircraft night mission against a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea. He elected to make a second low-level run over a thoroughly alerted convoy and scored two direct hits on a large tanker. His co-pilot was wounded, and his aircraft had two engines knocked out, a third damaged, the hydraulic system damaged, and a fuel tank punctured.He managed to gain enough altitude to reach land, where he ordered the crew to bail out. Eight did, but the bombardier's parachute was too badly damaged to use. Instead of bailing out, Carswell stayed with the bombardier and the wounded co-pilot, and attempted a crash landing. The badly damaged aircraft crashed against a mountain, and all three aboard were killed. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart. Carswell Air Force Base near Fort Worth, Texas named in his honor. He graduated from North Side High School in 1934 and enrolled at Texas A&M that fall to study agriculture. Though he was a proficient athlete in high school, he was considered too small to be on the A&M football team. At 5 feet 9 inches and 160 pounds, he earned the nickname "Stump" by friends and family according to Texas Aggie Medals of Honor by James Woodall. |
Commendations + Awards
Please note this might not be a complete or completely accurate accounting. For some awards we use probability factors based on known service details. Thanks for your understanding.
★ Medal of Honor
★ World War II Victory Medal
★ Distinguished Service Cross
★ Distinguished Flying Cross
★ Air Medal
★ Purple Heart
★ United States Aviator Badge Army
★ American Campaign Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Army Good Conduct Medal
★ Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Texas Gold Star Veterans Gallery
Honoring the men and women of Texas who gave their all for their country. May their example of courage and sacrifice be our guide. To be strong and responsible in our lives as citizens of the world. Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
▼ Texas was home to over 26,494 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
• 2,778 World War I
• 18,507 World War II
• 1,790 Korean War
• 3,419 Vietnam War
• 474 Prisoners of war
• 4,848 Missing in action
• 161 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 176 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 29 Medal of Honor recipients
• 18,507 World War II
• 1,790 Korean War
• 3,419 Vietnam War
• 474 Prisoners of war
• 4,848 Missing in action
• 161 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 176 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 29 Medal of Honor recipients
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Roy "Joker"
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▼ Primary Sources - These are repositories for artifacts, documents, diaries, manuscripts, and other information that serve as original and authoritative sources of information.
National Archives (NARA)
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Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Findagrave.com
Ancestry.com
Honoring our fallen. Together. Uniting us in meaningful common cause. When we work together to honor our Gold Star veterans, we heal our nation together. It's a team effort. Everyone's invited to join as a Citizen Historian and Guardian of Honor. - learn more
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National Memorial Day Parade with Spirit of 45
On May 27, 2019 the Honor States group was proud to be a part of our premier Memorial Day parade hosted by the District of Columbia and sponsored by the American Veteran Center. Together with Spirit of 45 and dozens of enthusiastic kids, the float and banner in tribute to the fallen at Normandy proved memorable and moving.
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