Appearing in the December 29, 1945, Watsonville Register-Pajaronian honor roll is the name of Second Lieutenant Lawrence W. Lawson Jr. What is known regarding this officer is derived from a few shards of information and supposition.

Lawrence W. Lawson Jr. was born in Sonoma County, California, on June 16, 1923, to Lawrence Lawson, Sr. and his wife Isabell. At some period Lawrence moved to West Virginia and at the time of his entry into the armed forces declared that state as his residence.

Given his rank of 2nd Lieutenant, Lawson was commissioned about 1944 and assigned to the Marine Air Force serving in the South Pacific.

During the period of Lawson's service in the Philippine Islands, where he died, the USMC Air Corps was providing close support for the US Army's assault on Zamboanga, Mindanao. After that invasion was completed, "Missions continued to be flown in support of operations at Davo, Malabang and Saragani Bay on the Island of Mindanao, as well as on the island of Jolo." For his service Lt. Lawson earned an Air Medal with two gold stars.

The American Battle Monument Commission indicated that he died on July 17, 1945, in the Philippine Islands; however, the cause of his death was not noted. Lawrence W. Lawson Jr. was buried in the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

(CBR; ABMC; NARA2; USNM; WRP December 29,1945; Naval Aviation in World War II, http://www.history.navy.mil/download/ ww2-35.pdf [19 July 2009])