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Edward 'Butch' O'Hare

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Aviator

The Resume

    (March 13, 1914-November 26, 1943)
    Born in St. Louis, Missouri
    Credited with shooting down five Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' bombers approaching the carrier USS Lexington (February 20, 1942)
    First Naval aviator to receive the Medal of Honor (April 21, 1942)
    Died in nighttime combat near the Gilbert Islands
    Chicago's Orchard Field was renamed O'Hare International Airport in his honor (1949)

Why he might be annoying:

    In the combat that earned him the Medal of Honor, he actually shot down three planes, not the five he was credited with. (Still, the other two were damaged badly enough that they returned to base without attacking the Lexington.)
    He also received 1,150 cartons of cigarettes bought by Grumman Aircraft workers at the plant where his F4F Wildcat had been built.
    There is debate over whether he was shot down by the Japanese or was a friendly fire casualty.
    It would have made a lot more sense for St. Louis to name its airport after him. (His only connection to Chicago: after his parents divorced, his father moved there.)

Why he might not be annoying:

    In the combat that earned him the Medal of Honor, he took on nine Japanese bombers single-handedly. (He and his wingman were the only fighter pilots who had not been sent to intercept a different bomber group, and before combat his wingman's gun jammed.)
    Lexington Captain Frederick C. Sherman opined that O'Hare's actions saved the carrier from serious damage or possible loss.
    An account of his Medal of Honor ceremony described him as 'modest, humorous, terribly nice, and more than a little embarrassed by the whole thing.'
    He participated in several War Bond drives between his Medal of Honor ceremony and his return to active duty.
    He told Grumman employees, 'You build them, we'll fly them, and between us, we can't be beaten.'
    Rear Admiral Arthur Radford wrote that he 'never saw one individual so universally liked.'

Credit: C. Fishel


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 144 Votes: 48.61% Annoying