Second Lieutenant Vincent Badolato was the Navigator of the 7th Emergency Rescue Squadron, flying amphibious OA-10s, also known as PBYs. It was in this capacity that he lost his life during a routine training flight off Makapu Point, O'ahu, Territory Of Hawaii, USA. Seven other men also died in that crash, one half mile off shore. They include the six member crew and two soldiers getting a transport ride. Although the crash was observed as it happened by many people on shore and in the Hickam Field tower, and rescue efforts were launched immediately, no bodies were ever recovered. One plane crew saw a man in the water and dropped a life raft, but with the next pass, the raft and a shark were seen, but not the man. Due to the depth of the water and the sharks in the area, no attempt was ever made to retrieve the airplane. Although the mission of the 7th Emergency Rescue Squadron was to land in the water to effect ocean rescues, the official report blamed the crash on "pilot error" for flying too close to the water. Several eyewitnesses said that the aircraft was already in flames before hitting the water.

Crew, 7th Emergency Rescue Squadron:
1st Lt Harris Kamis
2nd Lt Benjamin F Colson
2nd Lt Vincent G Badolato
Sgt Stanley R Kelley
Cpl Bedford K Metzger Jr
Pfc Riego C Miguel

Passengers:
1st Sgt Joseph G Ritchie
Pfc Richard K Albert

There are two soldiers named "Vincent Badolato" among the NARA WW 2 Army Enlistments from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "Vincent Badolato" was born in Pennsylvania in 1914 and resided in Phildelphia. However, the only "Vincent G. Badolato" that appears was born in 1925 in "Italy or San Marino" and enlisted as a Private in the Army Air Corps at Miami Beach, Florida on September 23, 1943. Both men are given as single at the time of enlistment. One was a welder or flame cutter, the second's occupation is unknown. Although this last man seems to be a good candidate, his Service Number doesn't match the one as given by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

A "Vincenzo Badolato" emigrated from one of the Santa Caterinas in Italy. He arrived on 27 May 1898 in Philadelphia aboard the Alsatia. He must be a previous generation relative of Vincent's.

Resources:

* Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946 (Enlistment Records), "Badolato, Vincent G., ASN 12206875", database found online at the National Archives Records Administration (NARA).
* Italians to America Passenger Data File, 1855 - 1900 and Manifest Header Data File, 1834 - ca. 1900 (Immigration Records), databases found online at the National Archives Records Administration (NARA).
* Honolulu Advertiser, Friday, August 9, 1946, page 1, banner headline article.
* Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Tuesday, August 20, 1946, page 1, headline article.
* Kamis, Harris - Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF), US Army Human Resources Command.
* Kamis, Harris - Report of Major Accident, HQ Air Force Historical Research Agency.
* News item carried in numerous newspapers across the United States on August 8 and August 9, 1946, NewspaperArchive and other newspaper databases.
* American Battle Monuments Commission, "World War II database".