Community Lecture on Heroic Marine Fighter Pilot Scheduled in Greenwood, S.C.

Greenwood, S.C. – Community Lecture on Heroic Marine Fighter Pilot

The 2024-25 Community Lecture Series, co-hosted by Lander University and the Arts Center of Greenwood, is set to kick off on Tuesday, September 3. The first lecture of the series will be delivered by Dr. William Ramsey, a distinguished professor of history at Lander University. The lecture, titled, “Fighting Infamy: A Marine Fighter Pilot’s Epic Stand at the Battle of Wake Island,” will draw insights from Ramsey’s forthcoming book, “Wake Island Wildcat,” now available for pre-order on Amazon and other retailers.

Event Details

The event will be held at the Arts Center of Greenwood and is free of charge, offering an excellent opportunity for community engagement. Complimentary refreshments and a cash bar will open at 5:30 p.m., with the lecture beginning at 6 p.m. The event is open to the public, encouraging everyone with an interest in history and heroism to attend.

About the Lecture Topic

On the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the Japanese launched an assault on Wake Island, a small Pacific atoll. Among the defenders was Marine pilot Henry T. Elrod, who took to the skies in his F4F Wildcat fighter plane. Elrod, a former Yale student who had played freshman football at the University of Georgia, had arrived on the island only days before.

On December 10 and 11, Elrod achieved extraordinary feats: he single-handedly engaged a group of twenty-two Japanese planes, downing two, and later bombed and sank the destroyer Kisaragi with all hands on board. This made Elrod the first American pilot to sink a warship using small caliber bombs delivered by a fighter plane in World War II. As American aircraft became too damaged to fly, pilots like Elrod joined the ground defense of the island. Elrod took command of a beach sector, successfully repelling multiple enemy assaults until he was killed on the final day before the American forces surrendered.

Despite the loss, the Battle of Wake Island served as a significant morale booster for Americans during a dark period of the war. Elrod, who earned the nickname “Hammerin’ Hank,” was posthumously promoted to major and awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery. In his honor, a US Navy frigate and a street at Marine Base Quantico were named after him, and a fragment of his plane is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum.

Dr. William Ramsey: Speaker Profile

Dr. William Ramsey is not just an historian but also a poet and professor of history at Lander University. With a Ph.D. from Tulane University, Ramsey has taught at institutions such as Tulane, SUNY Oswego, and the University of Idaho. In 2005, he was honored with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Award from the University of Idaho and Washington State University for public activism in civil rights and racial tolerance. He also received the Outstanding Faculty Award in 2007 from the Student Association of the University of Idaho.

Ramsey’s historical articles have been featured in esteemed publications like the Journal of American History, Georgia Historical Quarterly, and the South Carolina Historical Magazine. His first book, The Yamasee War: A Study of Culture, Economy and Conflict in the Colonial South, won the 2008 George C. Rogers Jr. Award for best book of South Carolina history.

Community Engagement

The lecture promises to provide a gripping narrative of Elrod’s valor, drawn from extensive research in military archives and materials from Elrod’s family. It will not only recount the Battle of Wake Island but also chronicle the experiences that shaped Elrod into a heroic Marine fighter pilot.

Attendees are encouraged to visit www.lander.edu/events for updates on event times and venues. For any further inquiries, you can contact Interim Assistant Provost Dr. Mark Rollins at 864-388-8563 or via email at mrollins@lander.edu.

Conclusion

This event offers an enriching opportunity to delve into a pivotal historical moment and to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of one of America’s unsung heroes. Don’t miss this chance to gain profound insights into our nation’s history from a passionate and knowledgeable speaker.