FIRST - American Hero of WWII
Posted by: 
Thorny1
N 30° 28.171 W 083° 24.765
17R E 268365 N 3373287
Located across the street from the Madison County Courthouse in Four Freedoms Park, Madison, FL is the monument to recognize Captain Colin P. Kelly, Jr, the first American Hero of WWII.
Waymark Code: WM4M4Z
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 09/05/2008
Views: 45
(from Wikipedia)
The Four Freedoms Monument was commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt following his articulation of the "Four Freedoms" in his 1941 State of the Union Address. Roosevelt felt that, through the medium of the arts, a far greater number of people could be inspired to appreciate the concept of the Four Freedoms.
The statue was created by sculptor Walter Russell later that year, and was dedicated in 1943 before a crowd of 60,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was dedicated to Colin P. Kelly, the first recognized American hero of World War II. On June 14, 1944 the monument was re-dedicated in Kelly's hometown of Madison, Florida, with a speech by Governor Spessard Holland.
Colin Purdie Kelly, Jr. (July 11, 1915 – December 10, 1941). Born in Madison, Florida, he was a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress pilot who flew bombing runs against the Japanese navy in the first days after the Pearl Harbor attack. He is remembered as a war hero for sacrificing his own life to save his crew when his plane became the first American B-17 to be shot down in combat. Colin Kelly has been called the first American hero of the Second World War.
On December 10, 1941, Kelly's plane lifted off from Clark Field in the Philippines. During its bombing run, Kelly's bomber hit the Japanese cruiser Ashigara. On its return flight the bomber came under attack by Zeros, one of which was piloted by famed Japanese flying ace Saburo Sakai. Kelly stayed at the controls of the badly damaged aircraft so that the surviving crew members could bail out. Just as he and his co-pilot attempted to escape the plane exploded, ejecting both men. Kelly's co-pilot, Lt. Donald Robins was able to open his parachute in time. Kelly hit the ground, parachute unopened.
For his extraordinary heroism and selfless bravery, Kelly was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 12/10/1941
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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