Torpedo Squadron Eight's 15 Douglas Devastators (TBD-1's) attacked the Japanese carriers during the Battle of Midway after launching from the USS Hornet. Lt. Commander John Charles Waldron was their skipper. Before takeoff he appended his own final message to VT-8's attack plan. It read, "Just a word to let you know that I feel we are all ready. We have had a very short time to train and we have worked under the most severe difficulties. But we have done the best humanly possible. I actually believe that under these conditions we are the best in the world. My greatest hope is that we encounter a favorable tactical situation, but if we don't, and the worst comes to worst, I want each of us to do his utmost to destroy our enemies. If there is only one plane left to make a final run-in, I want that man to go in and get a hit. May God be with us all. Good Luck, happy landings, and give 'em hell." The attack by VT-8 paved the way for the USN's dive bombers by causing the Japanese to defend against an attack at sea level. Of the 15 pilots and 15 crew members only Ensign George Gay survived ... all 15 planes were shot down. George Gay's remains were dropped into the sea near the battle area a few years ago. Admiral Nimitz instructed John Ford to film the battle. Ford, then a Lt. Commander in the OSS, was severely injured during the attack while filming on the island. One of his crews, aboard the Hornet, was making a documentary film featuring VT-8. This was their film as it was edited and presented to the families. The film was never released to the public for obvious reasons. This was VT-8's first and only takeoff with a torpedo attached. For entire account see Life Magazine, August 31, 1942. Ford's 19-minute documentary film, Midway, was awarded an Oscar after its release. I've seen snippets from this material but never the entire video.
(National Archives 2002
