25Oct1921 – 19Dec1944
Edison Days
Lawrence attended Edison and apparently withdrew prior to graduating. The only picture of him found to date is from the 1937 Wizard Yearbook.
Military Service
Branch: United States Navy Reserve
Rate: Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class
Unit: Patrol Bombing Squadron (VPB) 106.
Lawrence’s path to the Navy is unknown at this time. It is also unknown as to when he was assigned to VPB-106.
VPB-106 returned to Naval Air Station San Diego in July 1944 from New Guinea to reform and train for their next deployment. In November 1944, Lawrence and his squadron mates boarded the troop transport ship USS Republic bound for Hawaii.
They arrived at Naval Air Station Kanohe Bay on 2Dec1944
On 19Dec1944 Lawrence was one of 15 crewmen abord a PB4Y-1 aircraft conducting a routine patrol flight. At approximately 220 PM local time, 240 miles from Oahu, Hawaii, a fire developed in 1 of the engines. The fire quickly spread across the wing of the aircraft causing another engine to cut out. The aircraft went out of control and struck the surface of the ocean wing first. The plane cartwheeled and broke apart on impact.
The 8 men in the front of the aircraft survived the crash. Lawrence and the 5 men in the rear of the aircraft died and were presumed to within the wreckage of the aircraft when it sunk.
Despite several days of searching by both ships and aircraft, neither the wreckage nor Lawrence’s body were ever found. Lawrence’s status was changed from missing to dead on 7Mar1945. Per Navy rules, the list his official date of death as 19Dec1945. One year after the crash.
Lawrence’s name, along with 18,094 other missing US service personnel from the Pacific, is listed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial located within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Edison Heroes 