Aircraft History
Built by Vought. Delivered to the U. S. Navy (USN) as F4U-1 Corsair bureau number 02608. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the South Pacific and reassembled.

Wartime History
Assigned to the U. S. Marine Corps (USMC) to squadron VMF-214 "Black Sheep". No known nickname or nose art.

Mission History
On October 22, 1943 took off from Espiritu Santo piloted by 2nd Lt. Wayland E. Bennett on a training flight. When this aircraft failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA).

Memorials
Bennett was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He was memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court 2.

Bennett also has a memorial marker at Hillcrest Cemetery in Texarkana, TX the inscription reads: "In memory of Wayland Edward Bennett Lt U. S. Marine Corps Nov. 21, 1922 Oct. 22, 1943. Crashed on te island of Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides". Afer his remains were recovered, he was buried nearby with another grave marker that reads "Lt. Wayland Edward Bennett Nov. 21, 1922 Oct. 22, 1943. God is now my co-pilot."

References
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Wayland E. Bennett previously, listed "remains recovered"
FindAGrave - Wayland E Bennett (grave photo)
FindAGrave - 2Lt Wayland E. Bennett (photo, courts of the missing photo)

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Last Updated
February 4, 2018