ORCHARD DEPOT AIRPORT

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a Navy medical corpsman that won the Medal of Honor on the ground in the Korean Conflict. Today, I write about the first member of the US Navy to win that honor during World War II. He did it in the air.



Butch graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1937. After serving two years at sea, he went to flight training school. Butch was eventually assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. He converted to Catholicism in 1941 and was home getting married when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The Saratoga was badly damaged in that attack, so Butch was reassigned to the USS Lexington.



Early the next year, the Lexington was in the South Pacific and under heavy attack from Japanese fighters and dive bombers. Butch was the only pilot in the air during the second wave of their attack. He became the first US Navy ace; single handedly shooting down five Japanese bombers attacking his carrier.



After a stint as a flight instructor in Hawaii, Butch was assigned to the light carrier USS Independence. He participated as a squadron flight leader in the battle for Wake Island. Again he excelled as an ace. He and his team and those he had instructed went on to win the daylight air war in the Pacific. The Japanese air force was reluctant to fly.



Later in 1943, he was flight commander on the carrier USS Enterprise. The Japanese were attacking the fleet by night. Butch led his team in many dangerous night time air battles. From one of these, he never returned and his body was never found.



Not only was he awarded the Medal of Honor, in 1949 they renamed an airport for him. What was once Orchard Depot Airport in Chicago became Edward "Butch" O'Hare Airport .