Max Leslie Maxwell Franklin Leslie ( 24 October 1902 – 26 September 1985 ) was a naval aviator in the United States Navy during World War II . He is credited with playing a major part in the Battle of Midway . Early life . Born in Seattle on 24 October 1902 , Leslie attended the University of Washington before entering the U . S . Naval Academy in 1922 , graduating in 1926 , the same class as Wade McClusky . Military career . Leslie was commissioned ensign in 1926 , and received flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola in 1929 . He qualified as a naval aviator in 1930 . When the United State entered World War II , he was executive officer of Bombing Squadron 3 ( VB - 3 ) aboard . He flew with his squadron off , while escorting on the Doolittle Raid . Battle of Midway . Leslie was in command of VB - 3 , operating off during Midway . Following the Japanese destroyer that had been counterattacking , Leslie and Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky , from " Enterprise " , managed to arrive above the Japanese task force at the precise moment its combat air patrol had been drawn down to the deck to repel " Yorktown " s torpedo bombers , and at the moment of the First Air Fleet ' s maximum vulnerability . With the Japanese Zero s too low to be effective , the SBD Dauntless es of McClusky and Leslie ' s squadrons poured down through the miraculously open sky to unload their bombs on the Japanese carriers , their hangar decks cluttered with confused ranks of recovered and warming up aircraft , snaking fuel hoses , and stacks of munitions from the various rearmament operations . In just five minutes , " Enterprise " s Scouting Squadron Six and Bombing Squadron Six destroyed two Japanese fleet carriers . was abandoned at 1700 and sank at 1925 . was abandoned just after " Kaga " went down , and was scuttled before dawn June 5 . Attacking nearly simultaneously with McClusky ' s SBDs , " Yorktown " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s VB - 3 , led by Leslie , inflicted heavy damage on , and she also sank that evening . After successfully attacking " Sōryū " Leslie and his wingman Lt ( jg ) P . A . Holmberg ditched near due to fuel exhaustion , after their parent carrier " Yorktown " was under attack by Japanese planes when they returned . Leslie , Holmberg , and their gunners were rescued by one of the cruiser ' s whaleboats . A single carrier , , which was ten miles to the north of the other three carriers , escaped damage the morning of June 4 , but was sunk on June 5 . For heroism at the battle , Leslie was awarded the Navy Cross . Leslie continued to serve overseas during World War II : Max Leslie spent the rest of his career after the war in various ships and shore stations and retired in 1956 . In addition to the Navy Cross , he was presented the Bronze Star Medal with combat " V " and the Commendation Ribbon , the Presidential Unit Citation to " Enterprise " , American Defense Service Medal , Fleet Clasp , American Campaign Medal , Asiatic - Pacific Campaign Medal , World War II Victory Medal and the National Defense Service Medal . Leslie died 26 Sept 1985 in San Diego , California . In popular culture . Leslie was depicted by Monte Markham in the 1976 film " Midway " .