John T. Eversole
United States Navy officer (1915–1942)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Thomas Eversole (April 17, 1915 – June 4, 1942) graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1938[1], and after duty at sea received aviation training. On May 7, 1941, Eversole joined Torpedo Squadron 6 (VT-6) in USS Enterprise (CV-6), and with many others of his squadron, died in the opening phases of the Battle of Midway 4 June 1942 during an attack on Japanese carriers made through heavy opposition. Lieutenant (junior grade) Eversole's actions were posthumously recognized with the award of the Navy Cross.
John Thomas Eversole | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 17, 1915 Pocatello, Idaho, US |
| Died | June 4, 1942 (aged 27) near Midway Atoll |
| Allegiance | United States |
Branch | USN |
Rank | Lieutenant (junior grade) |
| Unit | Torpedo Squadron 6 (VT-6) |
Conflicts | World War II *Battle of Midway |
| Awards | Navy Cross (posthumous) |
On February 18, 1942, Eversole had to ditch his TBD Devastator torpedo bomber sixty miles from the Enterprise, after he became disoriented and ran out of fuel.[2] He was successfully picked up by one of his Task Forces destroyers the next day.
Namesake
The destroyer escort USS Eversole (DE-404) was the first ship named in his honor. She was sunk during The Battle of Leyte Gulf on March 21, 1944. In 1946 a second ship, the destroyer USS Eversole (DD-789) was named in his honor.
