O'HARE, EDWARD HENRY - Medal of Honor Recipient
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Birth: 13 March 1914, St.
Louis, Mo. Entered service at: St. Louis, Mo. Other Navy awards: Navy Cross,
Distinguished Flying Cross with 1 gold star. 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 Fighting Squadron
3 on 20 February 1942. Having lost the assistance of his teammates, Lt.
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 machinegun and cannon fire. Despite this concentrated
opposition, Lt. 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.
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