Royal Arthur Stratton ★ World War II Gold Star Veteran from Pennsylvania
On May 29, 1945 First Lieutenant Stratton 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 Pennsylvania. ★ 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 Royal Arthur Stratton 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 2021-02-09 12:31:55.
Missing : Core Data
· Birth date· Enlistment type
· Date of tour or service
Missing : Supplemental Data
· Educational background· Parents, family history
· Expanded references and citations
Service Details
| This Profile ID | 362702 |
| Service ID | O-696400 |
| Name | Royal Arthur Stratton |
| From | Elwood, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania |
| Casualty Date | May 29, 1945 |
| War | World War II |
| Service Branch | Army Air Forces |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Specialty | Pilot |
| Unit/Group | 4th Rescue Squadron |
| Casualty Type | Killed, Buried at Sea, Missing in Action |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Burial | Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial National Cemetery of the Pacific, Hawaii |
| Notable Awards |
★ Distinguished Flying Cross
★ Air Medal
★ Purple Heart |
| Remembered | 
Royal Arthur Stratton is buried or memorialized at Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial National Cemetery of the Pacific, Hawaii. This is a National American Cemetery administered through the Department of Veteran's Affairs. |
Additional Details
Royal A Stratton was born and raised in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. He had married Mary Ellen Timmermann while he was an aviation cadet at Corsicana Air Field in Texas.During his service in the war, he was a member of the 4th Emergency Rescue Squadron, stationed on the Mariana Islands of the South Pacific. They were search and rescue crews, as the battle of the heavy bombers in the Pacific moved closer to Japan. On May 29, 1945, Royal A Stratton led a mission to save the lives of nine downed airmen, floating in the dangerous waters of the Pacific. He was killed in the process, however not before he ensured that nine men would live. In 2021 The Misty Falls Motion Picture Company released a movie dedicated to the true story of Royal A Stratton and the events that led to his death. JOURNEY TO ROYAL: A WWII RESCUE MISSION. It was developed by Royal's grand nephew, filmmaker Chris Johnson Gripping action combined with historical imagery, as well as firsthand accounts of Hollywood entertainers and service members from the Greatest Generation, paint a portrait of life in the 1940s which sets the stage for events that inspired a nation and forged the most unified era in history. |
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.
★ Distinguished Flying Cross
★ Air Medal
★ Purple Heart
★ United States Aviator Badge Army
★ World War II Victory Medal
★ American Campaign Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Army Good Conduct Medal
★ Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Notable Reference Sources
These are typically links to pages on external sites that have provided specific nodes of information. In most cases the information has some assurance of being crowd-sourced and vetted by a community of users.Pennsylvania Gold Star Veterans Gallery
Honoring the men and women of Pennsylvania 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.
▼ Pennsylvania was home to over 44,123 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
• 8,389 World War I
• 30,162 World War II
• 2,414 Korean War
• 3,158 Vietnam War
• 463 Prisoners of war
• 6,364 Missing in action
• 76 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 528 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 36 Medal of Honor recipients
• 30,162 World War II
• 2,414 Korean War
• 3,158 Vietnam War
• 463 Prisoners of war
• 6,364 Missing in action
• 76 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 528 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 36 Medal of Honor recipients
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▼ Organizational Supporters - HonorStates.org and the National Unified Archive of American Gold Star Veterans is stringently curated. This attention to quality extends to our supporters program. We carefully research and screen prospective organizations we perceive as being suitably aligned with our mission
▼ American Veterans Center 75th D-Day Congressional Reception
▼ USS Midway Museum 75th Pearl Harbor Wall of Honor
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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)
Library of Congress (LOC)
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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