Edward "Butch" O'Hare

Edward "Butch" O'Hare
Name	Edward "Butch" O'Hare
Birth date	1914-03-13
Birth place	St. Louis, Missouri
Death date	1943-11-26
Death place	Pacific Ocean, near New Ireland
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Serviceyears	1937–1943
Rank	Lieutenant Commander
Awards	Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross

Edward "Butch" O'Hare Edward "Butch" O'Hare was an American naval aviator and Medal of Honor recipient noted for aerial combat in the Pacific Theater during World War II. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, he gained national prominence after a single decisive action that influenced public perception of United States Navy air power and contributed to wartime morale. O'Hare's career intersected with multiple Naval Air Stations, carrier operations, and key Pacific campaigns before his death during a nighttime mission.

Early life and education

O'Hare was born into a prominent O'Hare family of St. Louis, Missouri, son of Edward O'Hare Sr. and Margaret C. O'Hare. He attended Western Military Academy and later enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he studied engineering and participated in Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs tied to Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. After graduation he pursued flight training at Naval Air Station Lakehurst and Naval Air Station Pensacola, earning designation as a Naval Aviator and receiving assignments with Fighter Squadron units aboard aircraft carriers of the United States Pacific Fleet.

Naval aviation career

Assigned to Carrier Fighter Squadron VF-3 and embarked on USS Lexington (CV-2), O'Hare flew Grumman fighters such as the Grumman F4F Wildcat in operations linked to the early Pacific War following the Attack on Pearl Harbor. He served alongside noted aviators in squadrons operating from carriers including USS Enterprise (CV-6), and engaged in flight operations coordinated with Carrier Air Group tactics developed from lessons of the Battle of Midway, Guadalcanal Campaign, and Doolittle Raid aftermath. His squadron's activities were integrated with broader naval efforts supported by Task Force 16 and Task Force 11 logistics hubs, interacting with personnel from Naval Air Station North Island and commands such as Commander, Air Force, Pacific Fleet.

Medal of Honor action and recognition

On February 20, 1942, during an engagement over the Pacific Ocean near the Marshall Islands and actions covering Wake Island resupply efforts, O'Hare single-handedly attacked a formation of Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy bombers including Mitsubishi types such as the Mitsubishi G4M and Mitsubishi A6M Zero escorts, disrupting a raid aimed at USS Lexington (CV-2) task elements. In a feat praised by Franklin D. Roosevelt and publicized by The New York Times and Time (magazine), he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt with citation citing extraordinary heroism and decisive aerial marksmanship. The action elevated him to national prominence alongside other decorated figures like Douglas MacArthur and Chester W. Nimitz, spawning profiles in Life (magazine) and features promoted by United Service Organizations morale efforts.

Later service and leadership

Following his Medal of Honor citation, O'Hare returned to sea duty and assumed leadership roles that included training responsibilities at Naval Air Station Norfolk and squadron command aboard escort carriers allied with Carrier Division operations. He participated in advanced aerial tactics development coordinated with Bureau of Aeronautics initiatives and made instructional visits to United States Naval Academy and Naval Air Station Oceana. Collaborating with contemporaries in naval aviation such as Butch LeMay-era aviators and staff from Admiral William Halsey Jr.'s commands, he emphasized fighter interception, night fighting techniques using modified Grumman designs, and air defense integration with radar installations at Naval Air Facility sites. His leadership connected him to networks involving Office of Naval Intelligence briefings and interservice exchanges with United States Army Air Forces units focused on Pacific air doctrine.

Death and legacy

On November 26, 1943, while piloting a new radar-equipped fighter from the USS Enterprise (CV-6) on a nighttime interception near New Ireland and the Bismarck Archipelago, O'Hare's aircraft disappeared during an operational sortie; he was declared missing in action and later presumed dead. The loss resonated across St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and Naval aviation communities, prompting memorials and reflections in publications like The Washington Post and tributes from leaders including Frank Knox and naval aviators such as Jimmy Thach. His tactical accomplishments influenced subsequent developments in night-fighter doctrine at Naval Air Station Jacksonville and carrier-based radar integration projects under the Bureau of Ships and National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

Honors and memorials

O'Hare's name has been commemorated through multiple dedications: O'Hare International Airport in Chicago (formally named for him), the USS O'Hare (DD-889) destroyer christened in his honor, and monuments at Naval Air Station memorial sites and the Illinois State Capitol. His Medal of Honor resides in institutional collections including exhibits at Smithsonian Institution-associated museums and United States Navy heritage centers. Annual ceremonies at St. Louis Lambert International Airport and historical displays by organizations like the Naval Historical Center and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association maintain his legacy. Scholarly works about his life appear in biographies published by Naval Institute Press and articles in journals such as Naval Aviation News and Air & Space/Smithsonian.

Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II Category:Recipients of the Medal of Honor Category:1914 births Category:1943 deaths