Ens george gay

In the 75 years since the Battle of Midway, Ensign George “Tex” Gay Jr. has evolved into an almost mythical figure. Rank: Ensign. George H. Gay, Jr. enlisted the U.S. Navy in After completion of flight training and receiving his commission in September ofEnsign Gay was assigned to Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8).

Fifteen planes of Torpedo Squadron 8 took off from the U. Hornet on June 4, carrying 30 officers and enlisted gunners. All were shot down and Ensign George Gay was ens only survivor, watching the battle unfold from beneath a floatation device until rescued.

The other crewman pictured is one of his rear gunners, ARM3c George Arthur Field, who flew with ENS Harold Ellison on June 4. All fifteen pilots received the Navy Cross 14 of them posthumouslyand their enlisted gunners all received posthumous awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

With knowledge of a large Japanese invasion fleet moving towards Midway Island outnumbering the. His courageous action, carried out with a gallant spirit of self-sacrifice and a conscientious devotion to the fulfillment of his mission, was a determining factor in the defeat of the enemy forces and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Inhe served as a consultant is seer gay the set for the movie Midwayin which Kevin Dobson played Gay. Grimly aware of the hazardous consequences of flying without fighter protection, and with insufficient fuel to return to his carrier, Ensign Gay, resolutely, and with no thought of his own life, delivered an effective torpedo attached against violent assaults of enemy Japanese aircraft and against an almost solid barrage of anti-aircraft fire.

Following the battle, Gay took part in the Guadalcanal campaign with another squadron, and he later became a george flight instructor. May During the Battle of Midway, Gay was the first of his squadron to take off from Hornet on June 4, For Ensign George H.

Gay, Jr. of Waco, Texas, the morning of June 4, began with groggy trepidation. On June 4th,while operating from the carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) during the Battle of Midway, his squadron was wiped. Ensign George Gay (right), sole survivor of VT-8 at Midway, standing beside his TBD Devastator before the Battle of Midway.

After the war, Gay spent over 30 years as a pilot for TWA. He often lectured on his Midway experiences, and authored the book Sole Survivor about his wartime experiences. Ennobled on the cover of Life magazine in Augusthe received the Navy Cross and became iconic as the “sole.

Gay 8, Service: United States Navy. Often mistakenly referred to as Torpedo Squadron Eight’s lone Midway survivor, George Gay nevertheless plays a huge role in the battle’s enduring mystique. Batallion: Torpedo Squadron 8 VT Division: U.

Hornet CV Action Date: June 4, Ensign George H. Gay Jr. (right), sole survivor of VT-8's TBD Devastator group, in front of his aircraft with his rear gunner, ARM3c George Arthur Field, while Hornet was in the Coral Sea, c.