Meyer Levin (military)
| Meyer Levin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | Mike |
| Born | c. 1916 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | January 7, 1943 (aged 26) New Britain, Papua New Guinea |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch | United States Army Air Corps |
| Years of service | 1939 - 1943 |
| Rank | Master Sergeant, bombardier |
| Unit | 19th Bombardment Group |
| Battles/wars | World War II, against Japan; Coral Sea |
| Awards |
Distinguished Flying Cross Purple Heart Oak Leaf Cluster (6) Silver Star medal American Defense Service Medal(1) American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6) Philippine Defense Medal World War II Victory Medal Good Conduct Medal |
Meyer (Mike) Levin (June 5, 1916 - January 7, 1943) was a World War IIB-17 Flying Fortress bombardier, pilot, and war hero. Three days after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, he flew on a mission with pilot Colin Kelly against the Japanese navy. Kelly died trying to save his crew and became a war hero. On that mission, Levin became the first American to blow up a Japanese warship. During his subsequent 60 combat missions, Levin also sank an enemy ship during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
A year later, although he was off duty, he volunteered to be the spotter and bombardier for a combat mission near New Guinea. During its return, the B-17 ran low on fuel and made a forced landing into stormy seas. Levin remained in the plane and released the life raft which saved the lives of the three other crew members. In doing so, however, Levin was injured and died when the plane sank.
Levin won the distinguished flying cross for being the first to successfully bomb a Japanese battleship, Haruna, the silver star for a direct hit on a 15,000 ton Japanese transport, and the oak leaf cluster for gallantry. He is remembered as one of the first American heroes of World War II for sacrificing his own life to save members of his crew.
Levin was born June 5, 1916 in Rochester, New York to Jewish parents, Samuel Levin and Leah Levin. The family moved to Brooklyn when Meyer was 14 years old. His father was a tailor and clothing inspector for the Navy; they lived at 1504 East Thirty-third Street in Brooklyn.
After Levin graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School, he enrolled in a government aeronautical school, where he graduated second highest in his class. He spent the next three years trying to find work in the aircraft industry, but was continually denied a job due to his Jewish heritage. He then decided to enlist in the military.
Levin enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1939 where he began work with a ground crew in the Philippines. After Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, he became a bombardier with the 19th Operations Group. One of his first missions was on a B-17 Flying Fortress on December 10, piloted by Captain Colin Kelly. When Kelly turned the controls over to Levin, Levin bombed and severely damaged the Japanese battleship Haruna, setting the ship ablaze after three successful hits. Levin recalls: "In the Jap convoy was a battleship protecting landing operations and we made this our target. It was what you might call a bombardier's dream...Fifteen seconds before I released the bombs I knew I was going to hit the ship."
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Wikipedia