Tamiya Vought F4U Corsair of 1LT Kenneth Walsh in 1/72 Scale

Kenneth Walsh enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1933 at the age of 17.  He was trained as a Naval Aviator in 1937, earning his pilot’s wings while still a private.  By February 1943 Walsh was a 1LT, serving with VMF-124 on Guadalcanal.  He opened his account on 01APR43 with a triple, scoring another three on 13MAY43 which made him the first pilot to make ace on the Corsair.  He continued to add to his score, and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for 20 victories.  He returned to combat in 1945, serving in the Philippines and scoring his last victory off Okinawa on 22JUN45.  Walsh flew transports with VMR-152 during the Korean War, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1958.

The model represents the F4U-1 Corsair of Lt. Kenneth Walsh USMC, VMF-124, as it appeared while operating from Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, May 1943.