On 4 June 1942, Sergeant Roy W. Walters was serving as Tail Gunner on a B-26 Marauder Bomber of the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, 22nd Bombardment Group (Medium), Far East Air Force (Detached).

On that day, SGT Walters' unit was in action against Japanese surface forces during the Battle of Midway. SGT Walters was flying on a B-26 Marauder Bomber (SN 40-1424) nicknamed "Satan's Playmate" that took off from Midway Airfield on Eastern Island at 0630 hours on a torpedo-bombing mission against the Japanese Navy. This was the first torpedo attack ever carried out by the Army Air Forces and the mission's success was entirely dependent upon the skill, courage and devotion to duty of the crew members of the participating bombers. These men willingly entered the attack at great risk to their lives in the face of the concentrated gunfire of Japanese Naval forces and fighter planes. At 0730 hours the formation of 4 B-26 Marauders, of which "Satan's Playmate" was a part, attacked the Japanese Navy carrier force about 150 miles northwest of Midway Atoll. Flying in a diamond formation at 700 feet altitude, the bombers descended to 200 feet to drop their torpedoes. The B-26 formation was intercepted by two A6M2 Zeros fighters flying a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and by defensive anti-aircraft fire from the Akagi. During the attack, "Satan's Playmate" was shot down. SGT Walters' courageous actions and extraordinary heroism that day earned him, at the cost of his life, the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

When B-26 Marauder "Satan's Playmate" failed to return to base it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA) and the entire 7 man crew was officially declared dead as of the date of the mission. All 7 crew members were posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) and Purple Heart.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Distinguished Service Cross
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Bronze Star
World War II Victory Medal
Aerial Gunner Badge

Distinguished Service Cross Citation (Synopsis)

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Private Roy W. Walters (ASN: 12029059), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Gunner on a B-26 Medium Bomber of the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, 22d Bombardment Group (M), FAR EAST Air Force (Detached), in aerial action against enemy surface forces on 4 June 1942, during an engagement near Midway Island. Private Walters displayed extraordinary heroism during a torpedo-bombing mission against the Japanese Navy. The success of the mission was dependent entirely upon the skill, courageousness and unfaltering devotion to duty of the crew members of the airplanes participating, who unhesitatingly entered into the attack at great personal risk to their own lives in the face of concentrated gunfire of the Japanese Naval forces and fighter planes. During this, the first torpedo attack ever carried out by the Army Air Forces, the airplane on which Private Walters was gunner, was lost. The personal courage and zealous devotion to duty displayed by Private Walters on this occasion, at the cost of his life, have upheld the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Far East Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.

Headquarters: Hawaiian Department, U.S. Army, General Orders No. 117 (1942)

Other Crew Members of "Satan's Playmate"

Pilot 1LT Herbert C. Mayes, 0-406421 Shawnee, OK [Honoree Record ID 97414]
Co-Pilot 2LT Garrett H. McCallister, O-388997 Shawnee, OK [Honoree Record ID 97466]
Navigator 2LT William D. Hargis Jr., O-429474 OK [Honoree Record ID 93627]
Bombardier 2LT Gerald J. Barnicle, O-432965 MA [Honoree Record ID 87781]
Aerial Engineer / Nose Gunner SSGT Salvatore Battaglia, 6976250 NY [Honoree Record ID 87889]
Radio Operator / Top Turret Gunner SGT Benjamin F. Huffstickler, 14021810 NC [Honoree Record ID 94642]

Memorialization

The remains of Sergeant Roy W. Walters have never been recovered. He is memorialized by having his name inscribed on Court 5 of the Courts of the Missing at The Honolulu Memorial in Honolulu, Honolulu County, HI.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56134694/roy-w-walters

[Some data in this biography was extracted from https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-26/40-1424.html]