World War II Honoree

Edward Henry O'Hare

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

St. Louis, Missouri

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. SERVED AS LIEUTENANT, U.S. NAVY. ENTERED SERVICE AT ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. AWARDED THE NAVY CROSS AND DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS WITH 1 GOLD STAR. RECEIVED CITATION FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY IN AERIAL COMBAT, AT GRAVE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY, AS SECTION LEADER AND PILOT OF 3RD FIGHTING SQUADRON ON FEBRUARY 20, 1942. HAVING LOST THE ASSISTANCE OF HIS TEAMMATES, LIEUTENANT O'HARE INTERPOSED HIS PLANE BETWEEN HIS SHIP AND AN ADVANCING ENEMY FORMATION OF 9 ATTACKING TWIN ENGINE HEAVY BOMBERS. WITHOUT HESITATION, ALONE AND UNAIDED, HE REPEATEDLY ATTACKED THIS ENEMY FORMATION, AT CLOSE RANGE IN THE FACE OF INTENSE COMBINED MACHINE GUN AND CANNON FIRE. DESPITE THIS CONCENTRATED OPPOSITION, LIEUTENANT O'HARE, BY HIS GALLANT AND COURAGEOUS ACTION, HIS EXTREMELY SKILLFUL MARKSMANSHIP IN MAKING THE MOST OF EVERY SHOT OF HIS LIMITED AMOUNT OF AMMUNITION, SHOT DOWN 5 ENEMY BOMBERS AND SEVERELY DAMAGED A SIXTH BEFORE THEY REACHED THE BOMB RELEASE POINT. AS A RESULT OF HIS GALLANT ACTION, ONE OF THE MOST DARING, IF NOT THE MOST DARING, SINGLE ACTION IN THE HISTORY OF COMBAT AVIATION, HE UNDOUBTEDLY SAVED HIS CARRIER FROM SERIOUS DAMAGE.