Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-29
Navy Awards Medals
To Seven Officers for
Extraordinary Heroism
Destroyer Commander,
Six Flyers Took Port
In Bottle Of Midway

The Navy today announced award
of decorations for extraordinary
heroism to seven officers. One.
Comdr. Arnold Ellsworth True, Al,
Corinth, KY, received both the Dis
tinguished Service Medal and the
Navy Cross for dramatic rescue work
in the Pacific.
Comdr. True received the DSM
for his attempt to salvage the car
rier Yorktown on June in the
Battle of Midway. He maintained
water pressure and power for the
helpless Yorktown before both the
Yorktown and his destroyer, the
Hannah, were sunk by submarine
torpedoeS. In addition. the citation
points out, when Comdr. True was
rescued from the Pacific two hours
later, he was found to be supporting
two enlisted men, he himself so
stunned and exhausted that he did
not realize that the two men he had
rescued had died.
Previously he had Unanswered the
Hannah TO the rescue of survivors
from the carrier Lexington in the
Battle of the Coral Sea. For his
action in placing his destroyer
alongside the sinking Lexington and
taking off survivors he received the
Navy Cross.
Hit Enemy Carrier.
Comdr. Maxwell F.. Leslie, 40,
Spokane, Wash, received the Navy
Gross for heroic command of a
bombing squadron against the jap
anese in the Battle of Midway. His
squadron scored at least five hits
on an enemy aircraft carrier and
other vessels and fought continually
in the face of nti-alrcraft fire and
fighter opposition.
The Navy Cross also was given
1t. d, g. Edward Howard Bayers.
33, st. Louis, Mo, for his daring
leadership of a section of combat
patrol unit in the same battle AS
he was escaping from japanese
flyer who had outmaneuvered him
he sighted a japanese torpedo plane
approaching the yorktown. Despite
his pursuer he attacked the torpedo
plane and destroyed it. He later
strafed and seriously damaged an
enemy destroyer.
Wins Second Award.
The Gold Star in lieu of a second
Navy Cross was given 1t. d. g.
Walter A. Haas, U. S. N. R, %,
Haddonfield, N. J. Unable to get bis
plane refueled he took of from the
deck of the Yorktown and went into
battle with only small fraction of
his gasoline capacity available. His
ship damaged by anti-aircraft fire,
he nevertheless attacked an enemy
torpedo plane. forced it to release
its torpedo far wide of its target,
and then followed it and caused it TO
crash into the sea.
Ensign John B Balm, U. S. N, R, !
"a, Belzoni. Miss, also was given
the Gold Star in lieu of a second
Navy Cross. Inadvertently sepa-
rated from his section leader during
an attack against large number of
enemy fighters during the Battle of
Midway, he nevertheless made six
individual attacks against numeri-
cally superior fighters. One went
down in flames and the others were
routed.
Shot Down by Japs.
The Navy Cross was given Ensign
Harry B. Gibbs, U. S. N. R, %.
Wheeling w Va. for his attack
against a formation of l8 japanese
dive bombers in which he shot one
-,au,, rontirpi,,o wit !, oplu sim
gle gun firing he caused another
bomber to burst into flames and
explode as it struck the sea. Later
in the day, when he was attempting
to intercept an aerial torpedo at
tack upon the Yorktown, his plane
was so badly damaged that he was
forced to make landing on the
water. He remained partly sub
merged throughout the night due to
bullet holes in his rubber raft.
Ensign Milton Tootle, 4th, U. S. N.
R., %, ST Joseph, Mo, received the
Navy Cross for his action against
japanese aerial forces in the battle
of Midway. He pursued torpedo
plane so closely that he came under
a fierce barrage of anti-aircraft fire
from his own ship. Despite the
damage to his own plane he stuck
in his smoke-flled cockpit and
pressed home the attack until he
struck the torpedo plane and sent
it exploding into the sea. He car
ried on until ordered to crash land
in the water AS last resort he
was required to bail out, and short
+ipoe loter uos Djcked IN ny