[Walter E. Clarke oral history interview]

Fighter ace Walter E. Clarke discusses his military service with the United States Navy during World War II. He describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot and his time in Guadalcanal and Okinawa with Fighting Squadron 5 (VF-5). Topics discussed include his combat air patrol missions at Henderson Field (Guadalcanal) and his carrier missions aboard the USS Intrepid.

Walter E. Clarke was born on November 26, 1914 in Chicago, Illinois. He joined the United States Navy in 1938 and was designated a Naval Aviator the following year. After receiving his commission, Clarke was assigned to Fighting Squadron 5 (VF-5), serving aboard the USS Yorktown and USS Saratoga and at Henderson Field in Guadalcanal. In January 1945, he assumed command of Fighting Squadron 10 (VF-10) aboard the USS Intrepid. Clarke remained in the military after World War II and commanded the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt from June 1961 to September 1962. He retired as a captain in 1969 and passed away in 1992.

Biographical information courtesy of: Boyce, Ward J., ed., American fighter aces album. Mesa, Ariz: American Fighter Aces Association, 1996.