Marion William Dufilho

Who was Marion William Dufilho?

Marion William Dufilho was an American military officer posthumously decorated for heroism during World War II.

Dufilho was born 22 May 1916 in Opelousas, Louisiana, and graduated from the Naval Academy 2 June 1938. He was Edward O'Hare's wingman during O'Hare's Medal of Honor flight. On 24 August 1942, while serving as a section leader in Fighting Squadron 5 in Saratoga, Lieutenant Dufilho was killed in action in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. He was posthumously awarded both the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and achievement in this battle, which turned back a major effort of the Japanese to reinforce Guadalcanal and Tulagi.