Source

State Archives of Florida, Series S406

Description

Program for the dedication ceremonies of the Four Freedoms Memorial to Captain Colin P. Kelly Jr. in Madison, Florida.

Date

1944-06-14

Format

Programs

Coverage

Florida during World War II (1939-1945)

Topic

Military And Veterans

Subjects

American Legion. Auxiliary
Ashley, J. G.
Berlin, Irving, 1888-1989
Browning, Edwin B.
Feagin, Robert
Florida. Governor (1941-1945 : Holland)
Four Freedoms Monument (Madison, Fla.)
Freedom House (U.S.)
Hancock, W. E.
Holland, Mary Agnes Groover, 1896-1975
Holland, Spessard L. (Spessard Lindsey), 1892-1971
Horn, William
Kelly, Colin Purdie, II, 1915-1941
Kelly, Colin Purdie, Sr., 1882-1973
Kelly, Mamie Mays, 1884-1957
Latham, R. H.
Nagel, Conrad
Russell, Walter, 1871-1963
Soldiers' monuments--Florida--Madison
Stroud, Jimmy
War memorials--Florida--Madison
World War II
World War, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945--Monuments

Geographic Term

Madison
Madison County
Christiansburg (Va.)

General Note

Colin Purdie Kelly Jr. of Madison County, Florida, became one of America's first heroes of World War II. A 1937 graduate of West Point, the 29-year-old Kelly was a B-17 pilot in the Army Air Corps, stationed in the Philippines in December 1941 when the islands came under Japanese attack. On December 10, Kelly's plane was sent on a bombing mission to attack Japanese ships off the coast of Luzon. The crew spotted a large ship they believed to be the battleship Haruna and from a height of 20,000 dropped three 600-pound bombs. Though smoke obscured the target, Kelly and his men believed that at least one bomb struck the ship and that the ship was probably destroyed. In fact, the Haruna was not in the vicinity and Kelly's plane had perhaps bombed a large transport or the light cruiser Ashigara, neither of which had sunk. On the return to its base at Clark Field, a Japanese fighter attacked and severely damaged the American bomber. Kelly ordered his crew to bail out, but he was unable to exit the plane before it crashed. He was killed instantly.