Aircraft History
Engine V1710-85 serial number 42-96746. Armed with four 50 caliber machine guns serial numbers: 41-17888, 293459, 40512, 298564 and 37mm cannon serial number 1888.

Mission History
Took off from Makin Airfield on an escort mission and strafe Mille Island. Lost two to three miles west of Mille Island. This aircraft was observed to crash into the sea by 2nd Lt. Abel Morales, who did not see the pilot bail out and when he circled the crash, saw only an oil slick.

Memorials
Empey is memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Honolulu Cemetery (Punchbowl).

Relatives
Todd Graf adds:
"My grandfather's only brother, also his only sibling, was one of those lost, Willard 'Blake' Empey."

References
According to AMBC, Wesley was declared dead the day of the mission. MACR 1903 states Empey was declared dead on October 30, 1944.

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009

P-39

MIA