Ens george gay

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. George Henry Gay, Jr., was a United States Navy pilot who earned distinction as a member of Torpedo Squadron Eight at the battle of Midway during World War II.

He was born in Waco, Texas, on March 8,and was the son of George Henry Gay, Sr., and Susan (Halsey) Gay. 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. Although shot down while retiring from the torpedo attack, Ensign Gay, by his courage, skill and resourcefulness, survived and was subsequently able to provide valuable information concerning the action.

Ennobled on the cover of Life magazine in Augusthe received the Navy Cross and became iconic as the “sole. 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. Explore the life and legacy of George Henry Gay, Jr., a distinguished U.S.

Navy pilot and sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron Eight during the Battle of Midway in World War II. 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. Ensign Gay was the only survivor of thirty pilots and radiomen in that attack.

Tess Gay grew up outside Washington, D.C., in a military family. With knowledge of a large Japanese invasion fleet moving towards Midway Island outnumbering the assembled American naval force, Gay did not sleep well.

Ensign (later Lieutenant Commander) George Henry Gay Jr. (March 8, – October 21, ) was a Douglas TBD Devastator pilot in the United States Navy Torpedo Squadron 8 operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. Of the 30 VT-8 aircrew from Hornet that participated in the pivotal Battle of Midway, Ensign Gay was the sole.

Ensign (later Lieutenant Commander) George Henry Gay Jr. (March 8, – October 21, ) was a Douglas TBD Devastator pilot in United States Navy Torpedo Squadron 8 operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. For Ensign George H. Gay, Jr. of Waco, Texas, the morning of June 4, began with groggy trepidation.

With knowledge of a large Japanese invasion fleet moving towards Midway Island outnumbering the. In the 75 years since the Battle of Midway, Ensign George “Tex” Gay Jr. has evolved into an almost mythical figure. Gay is the widow of George Gay, a Navy pilot and decorated hero of the Battle of Midway. He enlisted in the Texas National Guard on July 1,and received an honorable discharge on October 5, Gay then enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.

Navy on February 12,en george gay his commission as an Ensign and designation as a Naval Aviator in September After returning to the U. His final active duty assignment was as an instructor pilot at NAS Miami, Florida, until he left active duty and joined the Naval Reserve on August 21, He died on October 21,and was cremated, having his ashes scattered at sea in the Pacific Ocean where his squadron launched its attack during the Battle of Midway.

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 attack against violent assaults of enemy Japanese aircraft and against an almost solid barrage of anti-aircraft fire. While swimming after his plane went down, he observed the dive-bombing attack that destroyed three of four of the Japanese carriers.

George Gay was born on March 8,in Marietta, Georgia. In the 75 years since the Battle of Midway, Ensign George “Tex” Gay Jr. has evolved into an almost mythical figure. Texas National Guard U. Navy U. George H. Gay, Jr. Lieutenant Commander O-4, U. Contact Veteran Tributes at info veterantributes. His unflinching and 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.