Today is the 65th anniversary of victory over Japan. The generation that fought gets older by the day, and fades away. There are as many stories of World War Two as people who survived it. Don Hoff was an 18 year old Navy radio man. On the day that changed the course of the war in the Pacific, here is his story.
Radioman 3rd Class Don Hoff
Radioman/gunner for Ensign James C. Dexter SBD #6-S-18
VS-6 U.S.S. Enterprise
Eighteen year old Don Hoff clambered into his SBD, 6-S-18, on the morning of June 4, 1942 with a pilot whom he had never flown with, James C. Dexter, in a plane he had never flown in before on his first combat mission. Don had been in VS-6 since before Pearl Harbor and flown with other pilots many times on scouting missions but as yet had never flown in actual combat. Hoff and his pilot Dexter took off with the rest of Air Group 6 at 0735. At 1022 on June 4, 1942 Don Hoff received his baptism of fire by riding backwards in the rear seat of 6-S-18 diving on the Japanese carrier Kaga. The dive was uneventful for Hoff as all he saw from the rear seat were the other SBD’s following his plane down in their dives. Upon pullout the first scene that Don saw was the carrier Kaga exploding and burning less than 100 feet away from him. His pilot, Dexter, hugged the waves at heights of 10-15 feet as the two attempted to escape the enemy fleet and return to Enterprise. Dexter and Hoff were the last SBD to return to Enterprise after the morning raid. Immediately after landing they were debriefed, given something to eat, refueled, rearmed and waited to go out and get the last enemy carrier.Later on the afternoon of June 4th at 1542 Hoff and Dexter took off again; this time to attack Hiryu and finish the day’s job. Again Hoff rides backwards and flinches instinctively at the heavy tracer fire that screams past his diving Dauntless. Dexter pulls 6-S-18 out its dive and heads for home. The two are then jumped by an enemy fighter which Don scares away or shoots down (it is still not known today) the Zero fighter and escape the Japanese fleet unscathed. Again among the last to land on Enterprise, their day finally ends. Don Hoff and James Dexter fly together again on June 5th, and again on the final attack at Midway on June 6th. James Dexter was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions at Midway and his faithful gunner Don Hoff was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for service performed during the battle
Don Hoff passed away last night.
Can you imagine the thoughts racing through his head as an 18 year old boy/man riding backwards in a plane? Can you picture yourself doing this? The anticipation, the courage, the fear all molded into a moment. Bless people like Don Hoff and may we never forget them.
Mr. Hoff relayed many of his stories to the museum in New Orleans. It is critical that we capture those moments in time and save them for generations to come. Recently deceased Senator Ted Stevens was a WW2 Army Air Force flyer, and a big supporter of the museum. So is Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and Senator Daniel Inoye. A Democrat and a Republican seeing eye to eye on something!
By the way, there are people just like him on the battle field today in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bless them too!
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