Elliott Buckmaster Vice Admiral Elliott Buckmaster ( October 19 , 1889 - October 10 , 1976 ) was a United States Navy officer , later promoted to flag rank , and naval aviator during World War I and World War II . Born in Brooklyn , New York to Dr . Augustus Harper Buckmaster ( 1859 – 1941 ) and the former Helen Gardner Elliott Masters ( 1858 – 1910 ) Buckmaster was raised in Charlottesville , Virginia from the age of twelve . Appointed from Virginia to the United States Naval Academy in 1908 , Buckmaster graduated with the Class of 1912 . Assigned to the USS " New Jersey " at the occupation of Vera Cruz in 1914 , Buckmaster was credited with rescuing a wounded sailor and bringing him to safety . Buckmaster was promoted through the ranks until 1934 when , with the rank of Commander , he would commission USS " Farragut " as her first Commanding Officer . Following command of " Farragut " , Commander Buckmaster applied for flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola . Upon graduation in 1936 at age 47 , Buckmaster performed duties in aviation until ordered in 1938 to USS " Lexington " as her Executive Officer . Serving in this capacity until 1939 , he was then promoted to Captain and ordered to Naval Air Station Ford Island as Commanding Officer , serving in this capacity until January 1941 . On February 5 , 1941 Captain Buckmaster assumed command of USS " Yorktown " at Naval Air Station Ford Island . He was Commanding Officer of " Yorktown " at the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway . Later he served as Commander , Western Carolines Operating Area , where he spearheaded shore based operations in the rescue of 317 survivors of USS " Indianapolis " after her loss to enemy action . Buckmaster was criticised by some historians for what was deemed the premature abandonment of " Yorktown " after she was struck by two torpedoes at the Battle of Midway . Buckmaster , consulting with his Executive Officer , Dixie Kiefer and the Ship ' s Chief Engineer Officer John F . Delaney , Jr . , all concluded that without power , the undoing of the very superficial repairs made at Pearl Harbor following the Coral Sea Battle there was no hope of correcting a list that varied between 26 and 28 degrees . Indeed , it was feared " " that the vessel might capsize at any moment and take many crewman below decks with her " " . According to Yorktown crewmen , Buckmaster was thinking only of his ships company ' s welfare . While Yorktown was later re - boarded , she was sunk by " I - 168 " following a torpedo attack that also sank USS " Hammann " . After the " Yorktown " was lost , Buckmaster was promoted to Rear Admiral and named the first Chief of Naval Air primary Training ( NAPTC ) . NAPTC headquarters were located at the naval Air Training Station , Fairfax Airport , Kansas City , Kansas . Dixie Kiefer , his Executive Officer on " Yorktown " was promoted to Captain and became Buckmaster ' s Chief of Staff . Under Buckmaster ' s direction the Navy ' s first formal Flight Training Manuals were printed in two versions : " No . 1 C . A . A . - W . T . S . ELEMENTARY " and " No . 2 PRIMARY " . Both versions were printed by LA RUE in Kansas City ( 20 , 000 Sept 1943 ) . The period from early 1942 through 1944 saw a rapid expansion of the navy ' s flight training operations ending in 1944 with the formation of the Naval Air Training Command at Naval Air Station Pensacola under the command of Rear Admiral George D . Murray , USN . Vice Admiral Buckmaster died in Coronado , California on October 10 , 1976 .