Eugene E. Lindsey

Eugene E. Lindsey (July 2, 1905 – June 4, 1942) was an officer and aviator in the United States Navy. He is the namesake of the destroyer USS Lindsey (DD-771).

Lindsey was born in Sprague, Washington, on 2 July 1905 and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1927. After duty on USS Nevada and USS Saratoga, he completed flight training in 1929 and served with a bombing squadron on USS Lexington and an observation squadron in USS Maryland. From 3 June 1940 he commanded Torpedo Squadron Six (VT-6), which flew Douglas TBD-1 "Devastator" torpedo bombers, in USS Enterprise.

On 7 December 1941, Lindsey was aboard Enterprise when he received word along (with most of the ship's company) of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. That evening (at 16.30), Enterprise received a report of an enemy carrier south of Oahu. With most of the ship's dive bombers having either flown into Pearl that morning or been deployed on search, Lindsey was ordered to lead his 19 TBDs against the target. However, the contact report proved to be false, and the strike found nothing. On their return at 20.10, Enterprise ordered the strike to proceed to Ford Island. However, Lindsey, who knew his men were low on fuel, refused, and convinced his ship to take them in. The VT-6 pilots, landing with live torpedoes and (in some cases) no night landing experience, all got aboard safely.

Lindsey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for successful leadership of his squadron in attacks on Kwajalein and Wotje in the Marshalls on 1 February 1942.

Lindsey made a bad landing when the Enterprise Air Group returned to the ship on 28 May 1942. The destroyer USS Monaghan rescued Lindsey and his crew (ARM1c Charles T. Grant, Chief Aviation Pilot Thomas E. Schaffer). Lindsey refused to let the injuries he sustained in the crash, however, keep him from leading his squadron into battle. On 4 Jun, after almost a week of recuperation, Lindsey was still so bruised about the face that he could not put on his flight goggles. When asked by the Air Group Commander, Lcdr. Wade McClusky, if he could fly Lindsey answered, “This is what I’ve been trained to do”. He died in action on 4 June 1942 with his rear-seat gunner C.T. Grant, ACRM, in the Battle of Midway, when their Douglas TBD Devastator was shot down by Japanese A6M2 Zero fighters, while attacking the aircraft carrier Kaga. VT-6 lost 10 out of 14 planes. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his contribution to the battle.

In 1944, the destroyer USS Lindsey (DD-771) was named in his honor.

Eugene E. Lindsey was portrayed by Darren Criss in the 2019 film Midway, directed by Roland Emmerich.

He was portrayed by Robert S. Woods in the TV Mini Series, War & Remembrance, Parts 2 & 3.