Ensign (later Lieutenant Commander) George Henry Gay Jr. (March 8, 1917–October 21, 1994) was a TBD Devastator pilot in United States Navy Torpedo Squadron 8 operating from the USS Hornet (CV-8) in the Pacific Theater of Operations during the crucial battle of Midway in World War II. is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Download high resolution version (600x707, 48 KB)Picture of George H. Gay from http://www. ... For the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas, see Waco Siege. ... Historic Downtown Marietta Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia GR6, and is its county seat. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... In the Royal Navy, United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, a lieutenant commander (lieutenant-commander or Lt Cdr in the RN) is a commissioned officer superior to a lieutenant and inferior to a commander. ... Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a United States Navy squadron assigned to the Hornet Air Group operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8). ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€  Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... The Navy Cross is the second highest medal that can be awarded by the Department of the Navy and the second highest award given for valor. ... Please see Presidential Unit Citation for other versions of this award The Presidential Unit Citation is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941 (the date of the Attack on... Ensign is a junior rank of commissioned officer in the militaries of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. ... In the Royal Navy, United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, a lieutenant commander (lieutenant-commander or Lt Cdr in the RN) is a commissioned officer superior to a lieutenant and inferior to a commander. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... TBD from Torpedo Eight taxiing up the flight deck of CV-8 circa 15 May 1942. ... USN redirects here. ... Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a United States Navy squadron assigned to the Hornet Air Group operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8). ... The seventh USS Hornet (CV-8) of the United States Navy was an aircraft carrier of World War II, notable for launching the Doolittle Raid, as a participant in the Battle of Midway, and for action in the Solomons before being mortally wounded in the Battle of the Santa Cruz... A map of the Pacific Theater. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€  Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Early years

George Henry Gay, Jr. was born on March 8, 1917 in Waco, Texas. He attended school in both Austin and Houston before enrolling at the Agricultural and Mechanical School of Texas (now Texas A&M University) at the beginning of the 1936–1937 school year. While at Texas A&M, Gay served in A Company, Coast Artillery.^[1] is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... For the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas, see Waco Siege. ... Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas, the county seat of Travis County, and home to the University of Texas at Austin. ... Houston redirects here. ... Texas A&M University redirects here. ...

World War II

Gay dropped out of school in the spring of 1939 because he wanted to become a pilot. The Army Air Corps rejected him because they thought he might have a heart defect. He was finally able to pass the U.S. Navy physical and graduated from flight school in September 1941.^[1] The Army Air Corps is a component of the British Army. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ...

As an ensign, he joined the newly-formed Torpedo Squadron 8 under Lieutenant Commander John Charles Waldron. He and his unit were aboard the USS Hornet in April 1942 when Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle launched his raid on Tokyo. One week later, the Hornet arrived at Pearl Harbor to join the USS Enterprise and become part of Task Force 16, which would fight for Midway.^[1] Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a United States Navy squadron assigned to the Hornet Air Group operating from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8). ... John Charles Waldron (24 August 1900 – 4 June 1942) was a U.S. Naval aviator who led a squadron of torpedo bombers in World War II. Waldron was born on 24 August 1900 at Fort Pierre, South Dakota. ... The seventh USS Hornet (CV-8) of the United States Navy was an aircraft carrier of World War II, notable for launching the Doolittle Raid, as a participant in the Battle of Midway, and for action in the Solomons before being mortally wounded in the Battle of the Santa Cruz... General James Harold Jimmy Doolittle, Sc. ... Combatants  United States  Japan Commanders James H. Doolittle Hideki Tojo Strength 16 B-25 Mitchells Unknown number of troops and homeland defense Casualties 3 dead, 8 POWs (4 died in captivity); 5 interned in USSR all 16 B-25s About 50 dead, 400 injured Lt. ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... This article is about the harbor in Hawaii. ... USS Enterprise (CV-6) was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh US Navy ship of that name. ... Task Force 16 is one of the most storied task forces in the United States Navy, a major participant in a number of the most important battles of the Pacific War. ... Orthographic projection centred over Midway. ...

Ensign George Gay (right), sole survivor of USS Hornet's VT-8 squadron at Midway, standing in front of his Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber on 4 June, 1942.

In the Battle of Midway, Gay's unit found the main Japanese fleet and launched a suicidal attack unescorted by fighter planes. Gay was the first of his squadron to depart on June 4, 1942. Although he was wounded and his radioman/gunner was dying, Gay finished his bombing run on the Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga. As he attempted to return to his own ship (around noon), Gay was surrounded by Japanese planes and forced to ditch his plane. Floating in the ocean, he hid under his seat cushion^[1] and witnessed the subsequent dive bombing attacks that sank three of the four Japanese aircraft carriers present. Image File history File links Vt8-g-gay-may42. ... Image File history File links Vt8-g-gay-may42. ... George Gay Ensign George Gay (right), sole survivor of USS Hornets VT-8 squadron at Midway, standing in front of his Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber on 4 June, 1942. ... The seventh USS Hornet (CV-8) of the United States Navy was an aircraft carrier of World War II, notable for launching the Doolittle Raid, as a participant in the Battle of Midway, and for action in the Solomons before being mortally wounded in the Battle of the Santa Cruz... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€  Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... TBD from Torpedo Eight taxiing up the flight deck of CV-8 circa 15 May 1942. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€  Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Four aircraft carriers, (bottom-to-top) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and in most cases recover aircraft, acting as a sea... Kaga (Japanese: 加賀, formerly Kaga Province, in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ...

After dark Gay felt it was safe to inflate his life rafter. He was rescued by a Navy PBY after spending over 30 hours in the water. Of the squadron's thirty pilots and radiomen, Gay was the only survivor.^[1] Gay met with Admiral Nimitz and confirmed the destruction of the three carriers. The PBY Catalina was the definitive air-sea rescue aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s. ... Chester Nimitz Chester William Nimitz (February 24, 1885 _ February 20, 1966) was the Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces for the United States and Allied forces during World War II. He was the nations leading authority on submarines, as well as Chief of the Navy Bureau of Navigation...

Following the battle, Gay took part in the Guadalcanal campaign with another squadron, and he later became a navy flight instructor. Guadalcanal, position (inset) and main towns Guadalcanal is a 2,510 square mile (6 500 km²) island in the Pacific Ocean and a province of the Solomon Islands. ... A person who holds a flight instructor certificate is authorized within the limitations of that persons flight instructor certificate and ratings to give training and endorsements that are required for, and relate to: (a) A student pilot certificate; (b) A pilot certificate; (c) A flight instructor certificate; (d) A...

He was awarded the Navy Cross and the Presidential Unit Citation for his actions in battle. The Navy Cross is the second highest medal that can be awarded by the Department of the Navy and the second highest award given for valor. ... Please see Presidential Unit Citation for other versions of this award The Presidential Unit Citation is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941 (the date of the Attack on...

Later years

After the war, Gay spent over 30 years as a pilot for American Airlines.^[1] He often lectured on his Midway experiences^{[citation needed]}, and authored the book Sole Survivor about his wartime experiences.^[1] In 1975, he served as a consultant on the set for the movie Midway, in which Kevin Dobson played Gay.^[1] Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... American Airlines, Inc. ... Midway is a 1976 war film made by the Mirisch Corporation and released by Universal Pictures . ... Kevin Dobson is US actor, born March 18, 1943, in Queens, New York. ...

On October 21, 1994, Gay died of a heart attack at a hospital in Marietta, Georgia.^[1] Following his death, Gay was cremated and his ashes were spread over the Pacific in the same place his squadron launched its ill-fated attack.^{[citation needed]} is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Historic Downtown Marietta Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia GR6, and is its county seat. ...

References

Texas Aggie is a term encompassing all those who are students or former students (alumni) of Texas A&M University. ... College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in Central Texas. ...

External links

• Naval Historical Center
• Naval Historical Center - Recollections