Photo By Senior Airman Tallon Bratton | A commemorative cake honoring U.S. Army Air Corps Lt. James P. Muri is displayed...... read more read more
Subscribe
Seventh Air Force personnel gathered at Seventh Air Force headquarters for a heritage event honoring the legacy of Lt. James P. Muri and the Battle of Midway, Feb. 25, 2026.
The event took place in the Tinker Conference Room, named after former Seventh Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Clarence L. Tinker. Tinker personally led four LB-30 aircraft early in the morning of June 7, 1942, toward the tail end of the Battle of Midway to find what remained of the escaping Imperial Japanese naval fleet. Tinker’s own LB-30 disappeared beneath the clouds an hour out from Midway Atoll and was never seen again.
The invitation to the staff to attend the event was intentionally kept mysterious, though it was mentioned the event was connected to the battle and that two special guests and a facilitator would attend. When approximately 15 people gathered and the event began, the special guests were introduced as Mr. Joshua Muri and Staff Sgt. James P. Muri.
Both are the grandson and great-grandson respectively of B-26 Marauder pilot Lt. James P. Muri who, on June 4, 1942, survived an onslaught of flak and bullets from Japanese forces by flying low across the flight deck of the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi. The B-26, named Susie-Q, and its pilot would become legendary. Muri and his crew, two of whom were wounded, barely made it back to Midway Atoll, hard landing on the crushed coral airfield. The aircraft became essentially a scrap heap after suffering more than 500 bullet holes.
Joshua Muri and his son James also helped dedicate a scale model of Susie-Q during the event, which included a ceremonial cake cutting. The model aircraft was completed by facilitator Kevin Malloy. David Hooten, from Colorado Springs, who initially assembled the wings and fuselage, was unable to attend the dedication.
In many respects, the event served as a “soft” dedication because only the model B-26 was complete and a proper tabletop display case is still a work in progress. The immediate plan is to include Susie-Q as part of an overall World War II showcase at the front entrance of the headquarters.
Joshua and James provided additional nuances to the story of their ancestor’s mission, discussing Lt. Muri’s life and career afterward. For many attendees, their presence represented living history and offered the opportunity to hear from someone with a personal connection to the historical figure.
| Date Taken: | 02.25.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2026 23:12 |
| Story ID: | 560591 |
| Location: | OSAN AIR BASE, GYEONGGIDO [KYONGGI-DO], KR |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Model Dedication, by SrA Tallon Bratton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
