Courage is contagious, Midway fighters showed
Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a Navy squadron assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8). VT-8's first and best-known mission came during the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942.
From superb naval intelligence, the United States believed a huge Japanese naval force was going to attack Midway.
The Japanese force included six aircraft carriers plus 10 battleships, 17 cruisers and more than 40 destroyers. The hastily assembled American force was less than half that size, with three aircraft carriers (Enterprise, Hornet and the recently battle-damaged Yorktown), no battleships, eight cruisers and about 20 destroyers. Both sides had about 20 submarines.
VT-8 was commanded by 42-year-old Lt. Commander John C. Waldron. He grew up on a ranch in South Dakota, part Oglala Lakota Sioux on his mother's side and the grandson of a judge. He graduated from the Naval Academy and spent most of his career flying, although he found the time to study law and pass the bar, and to marry and have two daughters.
By 1942, the Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber was obsolete. It was hopelessly slow with an attack speed of about 180 knots.
When the Americans launched their initial attack, air wing commander Stanhope Ring led the air wing directly west. Waldron knew Ring was wrong. He knew the Japanese force would be to the southwest. Waldron broke radio silence and argued with his superior. Disobeying orders, Waldron broke off and headed 30 degrees to the south. In an amazing testament to Waldron's leadership, all of VT-8's pilots followed him, not Ring.
Torpedo 8 was the first carrier-based force to find and attack the Japanese fleet. Lacking fighter protection Waldron must have realized it was a suicide mission, but he ordered his squadron to attack anyway: "We will go in. We won't turn back. We will attack. Good luck." Again, all his men followed him.
All 15 planes were shot down by Japanese fighters. Within 15 minutes, 14 of the pilots and all 15 tail-gunners were dead or dying. The squadron was annihilated.
Not a single one of their torpedoes hit a Japanese ship.
However, by drawing the Japanese Zero fighters down to the deck from their top cover position, American dive bombers were able to attack the Japanese fleet unopposed. They sank the Kaga, Akagi and Soryu, and later that day the Hiryu, amounting to one-third of Japan's 12 carriers.
Torpedo 8 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. Churchill called the Battle of Midway the "turning point of the war in the Pacific."
After recovering from his wounds, sole survivor Ensign George Gay returned to combat without self-pity. Typical of the real men of the Greatest Generation he continued doing his part to win the war. After the war Gay was a TWA pilot for 30 years. He died of a heart attack at age 77, was cremated and had his ashes spread at the coordinates where his squadron had attacked.
Peter Tonnessen
Fayetteville
Trump administration: Assembly now illegal
I watched Americans peacefully protesting in front of the White House, when suddenly they were gassed and beaten back, by order of the president and attorney general. Peaceful assembly is now illegal, according to this administration.
I saw an old, crazy white man coming out of "his" house, which he considers a dump, saying, "America, get off my lawn!"
Melodee Placial
Bella Vista
Commentary on 06/05/2020