William B . Ault William Bowen Ault ( 6 October 1898 – 8 May 1942 in Enterprise , Oregon ) was a commander in the United States Navy during World War II and a posthumous recipient of the Navy Cross . Early Naval Career . Ault served briefly as an enlisted man in the Navy ( 19 April 1917 - 23 April 1918 ) before entering the Naval Academy as a midshipman . Graduating on 2 June 1922 , Ault served at sea on the battleship before reporting to the Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida , on 23 August 1924 for flight instruction . After earning his wings , Ault served with Aircraft Squadrons , Scouting Fleet , before commencing a tour in the aviation unit of the light cruiser on 10 September 1925 . Detached from that ship just over a year later , he served at the Naval Academy as an instructor before reporting for duty with Observation Squadron ( VO ) 3 , Aircraft Squadrons , Scouting Fleet , on 15 June 1927 . Further duty at the Naval Academy , as an instructor in the Department of Ordnance and Gunnery , followed before he flew with Patrol Squadron ( VP ) 10 - S , Scouting Fleet , based in aircraft tender . He then served on the staff of Capt . George W . Steele , Commander , Aircraft , Scouting Force , from June 1931 to June 1932 and alternated tours of duty afloat and ashore : in Torpedo Squadron ( VT ) 1 - S , based on board ; at NAS Norfolk , Virginia ; and in the observation unit of the battleship . Ault — by this time a lieutenant — next assisted in fitting - out , thus becoming a " plank owner " of that ship when she went into commission in the autumn of 1937 . He then served on " Yorktown ' s " sister ship , , commanding VT - 6 . On 5 August 1939 , less than a month before the start of World War II in Poland , Ault assumed command of the Naval Reserve Aviation Base , Kansas City , Kansas , a billet in which he served into 1941 . On 22 July 1941 , Lieutenant Commander Ault once more reported to " Lexington " , and , the following day , became her air group commander . He was serving in that capacity when the Japan ese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 drew the United States into World War II . World War II . Ault helped to plan and execute the attacks on Japanese shipping at Lae and Salamaua , New Guinea , in March 1942 . On the day before the strike , 9 March , Ault and a wingman flew to Port Moresby , where the group commander learned of the existence of a key mountain pass through the forbidding Owen Stanleys , information that , in the words of the task force commander , contributed " a great deal toward [ the ] success " of the attacks that ensued . On the day of the raid , 10 March , Ault , given the authority to carry out or abort the attack on the basis of what weather he found , flew unaccompanied to the pass and orbitted . Finding favorable weather , he transmitted information to that effect and directed the passage of planes from " Lexington " and " Yorktown " toward Lae and Salamaua . Those groups sank three transports , put a fourth transport out of action , and caused varying degrees of damage to a light cruiser , a minelayer , three destroyers and a seaplane carrier . The transmontane raid postponed the Japanese projected conquest of Tulagi and Port Moresby for a month , the time necessary to replace the vital amphibious ships lost off New Guinea and marshal carrier air support . Commander , Aircraft Battle Force , later commended Ault for his work . Battle of the Coral Sea . In the later Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 , as " Lexington ' s " Air Group Commander , Ault led " Lexington ' s " bombers into combat in the successful May 7 attack on the Japanese aircraft carrier " Shoho " , sinking the light carrier fifteen minutes after the first attack . The Shoho was the first Japanese aircraft carrier sunk in World War II . Early in the morning on 8 May , Ault led the " Lexington " airwing ' s attack on the Japanese fleet carrier " Shokaku " . The attack was successful ; the " Shokaku " was damaged severely enough to warrant its removal from battle and its return to base at Chuuk . Both Ault and his radio - gunner , Aviation Radioman 1st Class William T . Butler , apparently suffered wounds when Zero fighters attacked the group commander ' s SBD Dauntless . Ault attempted to return to a friendly carrier deck , not realizing that the " Lexington " had taken mortal damage in his absence . Unaware of " Lexington ' s " distress , he radioed the ship at 14 : 49 , to tell her that he had only enough gasoline for 20 minutes . " Yorktown " , which had taken over communications for " Lady Lex , " heard Ault ' s broadcast but failed to pick him up on her radar . Informed that he was on his own but wished " Good luck . " Ault changed course to the north , in a last vain attempt to be picked up on radar . " Yorktown " again wished him good luck . Ault , perhaps aware of the fate that lay ahead , radioed : " O . K . So long , people . We put a 1 , 000 pound hit on the flat top . " No further word was received from " Lexington ' s " air group commander , and neither he nor Aviation Radioman Butler was ever seen again . No remains of his aircraft have yet been found . Both Ault and Butler were listed as Missing in Action and presumed dead on May 8 , 1942 . Navy Cross . Ault ' s leadership of " Lexington ' s " air group in the Battle of the Coral Sea earned him the posthumous award of the Navy Cross . The citation reads : Legacy . On September 25 , 1943 , the United States Naval land airplane airfield at Whidbey Island was named for Commander Ault . The , an " Allen M . Sumner " class destroyer in the United States Navy launched 26 March 1944 , was also named for CDR . Ault .