John S. Walmsley Jr.

John Springer Walmsley Jr.
Born	(1920-01-07)January 7, 1920 Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Died	September 14, 1951(1951-09-14) (aged 31) near Yangdok, North Korea
Place of burial (Markers Only)	Arlington National Cemetery National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force
Years of service	1944–1951
Rank	Captain
Service number	AO-815023[1]
Unit	8th Bombardment Squadron
Battles / wars	Korean War Operation Strangle †
Awards	Medal of Honor Distinguished Flying Cross Purple Heart Air Medal (2)

John Springer Walmsley Jr. (January 7, 1920 – September 14, 1951) was a bomber pilot in the United States Army Air Forces after World War II and the United States Air Force during the Korean War. Walmsley rose to the rank of captain and posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on September 14, 1951, above Yangdok, North Korea during a bombing mission.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Walmsley joined the Army Air Forces and spent the 1940s as an instructor pilot in the United States and Japan, but did not see combat. He was deployed with the 8th Bombardment Squadron to the Korean War, flying B-26 Invader aircraft. During this time, Walmsley volunteered for a risky bombing campaign, Operation Strangle.

During one of the bombing missions, Walmsley's aircraft spotted a Chinese supply train moving by cover of darkness. He attacked it until he expended his ammunition and called for backup. He then used a spotlight on his aircraft to illuminate the train for subsequent attacks, exposing himself and his crew to intense anti-aircraft fire, which he did not avoid. The mission resulted in the successful destruction of the train, and Walmsley was killed when his heavily damaged aircraft crashed.