[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 16, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H7644-H7646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE SPIRITS STAND UP AND PAY ATTENTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Dornan] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, this is one of those days when the spirits 
stand up and pay attention. At our incomparably beautiful national 
cemetery at Arlington today we buried the Navy ace of aces from World 
War II. The overall ace of aces was a young 24-year-old Army Air Corps 
P-38 pilot, Richard Bong of Wisconsin, 40 aerial victories in the South 
Pacific.
  Second was Tommy McGuire, a friend, fellow contemporary P-38 pilot of 
Dick Bong's. McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, of course, is named 
after Tommy McGuire.
  And the third one is the gentleman I have had the honor to hang out 
with a couple of times. He is still living: Francis Gabreski, a Polish-
American ace with 34.5 victories. He shared one victory, several 
victories, in Europe with wing men. But just a half a victory behind 
that is Capt. David McCampbell. He died on June 30, at 86 years of age, 
and quite a Navy officer this gentleman was.

                              {time}  1915

  Mr. Speaker, he holds the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, the Silver 
Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross. One of these days, Mr. Speaker, 
and I have said this many times, we are going to adjust tradition on 
this House floor and allow our cameras, like this one up here at the 
edge of the press gallery, to come in on a photograph like this when we 
do not have time to blow it up, which is expensive, and hold it down 
there in the well as a big chart-type photograph.
  But this shows David McCampbell in his cockpit. His aircraft was 
named after his wife, Minzi III. That is because Minzi I and Minzi II, 
also F6F Grunman Hellcats, were so riddled with bullets when he 
returned home that they were pushed over the side of the carrier deck. 
His carrier was the U.S.C. Essex. He was the CAG, the commander of the 
air group.
  What I like about this photograph, and I will tell the Members 
something about his young plane Captain, his crew chief, is that in 
this photograph, taken in 1944, Roosevelt himself, President Roosevelt, 
gave the Medal of Honor that January 1945 to then-commander David 
McCampbell, but he was 34 years of age. The British had started an 
untrue rumor after the Battle of Britain 4 years earlier that you were 
pretty much washed up as a fighter pilot after you were 23, 24 years of 
age. This old man, the CAG, commander of his own air group, Air Group 
15, on the Essex, he achieved his 34th victory while he was still 34 
years of age. Then they brought him home to inspire the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, let me tell the Members about that young man at his side 
there, who is still alive. He is Chief William Owens. He went by his 
middle name, Chester. No; I am sorry, he died at 30 in 1971. I am 
sorry, no, he is alive. His Navy career went from--sorry, Chester, I 
did not mean to send you to heaven, up there with David. But he was 
born June 24, 1941; or, excuse me, he joined the Navy on that date. He 
served 30 years in the Navy. Captain McCampbell served three and a half 
decades in the Navy. Chester is alive and very much so in Pensacola, 
FL. He was a CV-9, the U.S.S. Essex. He remembers when this picture was 
taken in 1944. Again, Roosevelt decorated McCampbell with the Medal of 
Honor on January 10.
  Mr. Speaker, I have heard many eulogies and read many, but I wish I 
had an hour of special order tonight so I could read, and I may do this 
tomorrow night, the full eulogy to Captain McCampbell by another Medal 
of Honor winner, a marine company commander from Vietnam, Colonel 
Barney, Col. H.C. Barnum, Jr. Barney Barnum gave the eulogy that I will 
just start. No; I will do it tomorrow, since my time is up, but I will 
put this beautiful eulogy in the Record. If I can, I will read it in 
its totality, tomorrow.
  The material referred to is as follows:

[[Page H7645]]

                    Eulogy to Capt. David McCampbell

                         (By Col. H.C. Barnum)

       David McCampbell, Navy fighter pilot extraordinaire, superb 
     combat leader--a true warrior. A patriotic American. He was 
     to naval aviation, what Gen. George Patton was to Army 
     armour, Generals Chesty Puller, Howlin Mad Smith and Lew Walt 
     were to Marine Corps infantry--All true combat warriors.
       My first recollection of Capt. McCampbell, as a newly 
     decorated Vietnam veteran, was at my first MOH Society 
     Convention. I recall his flashy clothes, the infamous cane, 
     his flare for having a good time, but most of all, his 
     willingness to sit and talk with the new guys, the Vietnam 
     veterans.
       Accompanied by Col. Joe McCarthy years ago, I visited Capt. 
     McCampbell in Lake Worth. I recall upon arrival, he had to 
     show us a new Cadillac he had just bought Buffy. We sat for 
     hours in a room adorned with photos of Navy fighter aircraft, 
     ships, photos, and models of his famous F-6F Hellcat. I 
     recall vividly, David's accounts of the decisions required in 
     air combat, the excitement of combat flying. He always said 
     he was never scared--but at times, was apprehensive.
       For the next few moments, I would like to recall David 
     McCampbell's career and accomplishments.
       And as I do, I ask you to not only remember, what a great 
     American combat warrior he was, but think about the living 
     example he set for his fellow aviators--the young pilots he 
     led. The foot prints he put in the sands of naval aviation 
     were truly a path, for those aviators who came after him, to 
     follow.
       And those who David McCampbell, will recall, I'm sure, that 
     he worked hard and played hard. He truly did it his way. 
     David was born in Bessemer, AL, 86 years ago. He attended 
     prep school right down the road a piece from here, at 
     Staunton Military Academy, and had a year at Georgia Tech 
     before his appointment to the USNA in 1929.
       As a midshipmen, he first exhibited his true competitive 
     spirit as an active baseball player and swimmer. He went on 
     to become the 1931 AAU Diving Champion, Mid-Atlantic States, 
     and subsequently Eastern Intercollegiate Diving Champion in 
     1932. Upon graduation June 1, 1933, due to congressional 
     legislation limiting commissions in the USN that year, he was 
     discharged from the Navy and commissioned an Ensign in the 
     USNR, and went inactive for a year, before being recalled in 
     1934 and commissioned an Ensign in the regular Navy.
       His first duty was aboard the U.S.S. Portland, as A/C 
     gunnery officer with Scouting Squadron 11, the aviation unit 
     aboard the cruiser. In 1937, he was detached from Portland 
     and reported to NAS Pensacola for flight training and was 
     designated a naval aviator 23 April 1938.
       For the next 2 years, Lt. McCampbell served with Fighter 
     Squadron 4 aboard U.S.C. Ranger, until being transferred in 
     May 1940 to Norfolk for duty with U.S.S. Wasp Air Group. He 
     served aboard Wasp as landing signal officer early in WW II, 
     until Wasp was lost in enemy action in the South Pacific in 
     September 1942.
       From November 1942 to August 1943, after returning from the 
     Pacific, David had consecutive duty at Naval Air Stations in 
     Jacksonville and Melbourne, FL. After fitting out fighter 
     Squadron 15, he went on to command that squadron from 
     September 1943 to February 1944. He then assumed command of 
     Air Group 15--which was to be later labeled FABLED 15--aboard 
     U.S.S. Essex.
       In addition to all the responsibilities incumbent with 
     being Air Group Commander, Cmdr. McCampbell, become the 
     Navy's highest scoring pilot, with a total of 34 airborne 
     enemy planes destroyed, the greatest number ever shot down by 
     an American pilot during a single tour of combat duty. His 
     phenomenal feat of destroying nine Japanese A/C in one air 
     combat flight, is unequaled in the annals of combat aviation.
       It was somewhere off the Philippine Islands, October 24, 
     1944, that Cmdr. McCampbell shot down 9 of the dozens of 
     Japanese planes he and another pilot took on. In an interview 
     years later, David is quoted as saying: ``It was just me and 
     my wingman. We came upon this group of 60 Jap planes. I 
     screamed for help over the radio like a wounded eagle, but 
     they didn't have anyone to send.''
       ``The air director that day was John Connally--later 
     Secretary of Navy and Governor of Texas--I asked him what I 
     should do? He said: `Use your judgment'. You don't think of 
     getting out of there, because that's not what you do. So my 
     best judgment was to attack.'' And attack we did.
       He went on to say, ``In combat you just don't think about 
     much of anything but the enemy, and shooting him down, 
     because that's what we were trained to do.'' I had help of 
     course--my wingman shot down six planes that day.''
       I've heard David say, ``I'm not a hero. . . .'' but as I 
     read his MOH citation, I know you all will agree with me, 
     that indeed he was a true hero.
                                                                    ____


              Medal of Honor Citation for David McCampbell

       Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy, Air Group 15.
       Place and date: First and second battles of the Philippine 
     Sea, June 19, 1944.
       Entered service at: Florida.
       Born: January 16, 1910, Bessemer, Ala.
       Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the 
     risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as 
     commander, Air Group 15, during combat against enemy Japanese 
     aerial forces in the first and second battles of the 
     Philippine Sea. An inspiring leader, fighting boldly in the 
     face of terrific odds, Comdr. McCampbell led his fighter 
     planes against a force of 80 Japanese carrier-based aircraft 
     bearing down on our fleet on June 19, 1944. Striking fiercely 
     in valiant defense of our surface force, he personally 
     destroyed 7 hostile planes during this single engagement in 
     which the outnumbering attack force was utterly routed and 
     virtually annihilated. During a major fleet engagement with 
     the enemy on October 24, Comdr. McCampbell, assisted by but 1 
     plane, intercepted and daringly attacked a formation of 60 
     hostile land-based craft approaching our forces. Fighting 
     desperately but with superb skill against such overwhelming 
     airpower, he shot down 9 Japanese planes and, completely 
     disorganizing the enemy group, forced the remainder to 
     abandon the attack before a single aircraft could reach the 
     fleet. His great personal valor and indomitable spirit of 
     aggression under extremely perilous combat conditions reflect 
     the highest credit upon Comdr. McCampbell and the U.S. Naval 
     Service.
       Cmdr. McCampbell was also credited with the destruction of 
     20 grounded planes, and his Air Group, which became known as 
     FABLED 15, was credited with the destruction of more enemy 
     planes than any other Air Group in the Pacific War.
       Under Cmdr. McCampbell's leadership, Air Group 15, worked 
     the central to far Western Pacific, participated in campaigns 
     and attacks in the Marianas, Iwo Jima, Palalu, Philippines, 
     Formosa, and the Nansei Shotos; He took part in the first 
     battle of the Philippines, the now famous ``Mariana Turkey 
     Shoot'', where over 400 enemy planes were destroyed in one 
     battle. His remarkable exploits continued up to and including 
     the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
       Under the superb leadership of Cmdr. McCampbell aboard 
     ESSEX, during 7 months and more than 20,000 hours of 
     intensive operations, Air Group 15 destroyed more enemy 
     planes, 315 airborne and 348 on the ground, and sank more 
     enemy shipping, 296,500 tons sunk and over \1/2\ million tons 
     destroyed/and or probably sunk, than any other Air Group in 
     the Pacific War.
       Major combat ships sunk: 1 battleship, 3 A/C carriers, 1 
     heavy cruiser. Additional ships damaged: 3 battleships, 1 
     carrier, 5 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruiser, 19 destroyers.
       Needless to say, Cmdr. McCampbell chalked up a brilliant 
     record while in command for Air Group 15. I shared with you 
     earlier David's MOH citation. To underscore his faithful and 
     dedicated service to his Navy and our great country, let me 
     share with you portions of his other citations for bravery 
     and heroism.


              the navy cross: 2nd in precedence of the moh

       ``Luzan, Philippens--. . . his coolness, quick thinking, 
     superior judgment and outstanding leadership resulted in the 
     sinking of one medium A/C carrier, one light cruiser, 2 
     destroyers and the damaging of 1 battleship . . .''


          the silver star medal: 3rd in precedence to the moh

       ``. . . while serving as a pilot of a carrier based fighter 
     plane in attack against the enemy in the central Philippines 
     12 Sept. 1944, he so ably led the attack group as to cause 
     maximum damage and destruction of the enemy, and he did 
     personally engage and destroy 4 enemy airplanes in aerial 
     combat, and in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire, did 
     strafe and cause serious damage to several enemy merchant 
     ships . . .''


                          the legion of merit

       ``. . . during action against Japanese forces in the 
     Philippine Islands, while aboard U.S.S. ESSEX Nov. 11-14, 
     1994, he directed the operations of several attack groups 
     during this period, skillfully deploying the forces under his 
     command to strike at the enemy with devastating speed, power 
     and precision, in perfectly coordinated raids, which resulted 
     in maximum damage inflicted on hostile shipping and vital 
     harbor facilities and the complete destruction of a large 
     Japanese troop convoy, . . .''
       His 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses and air medals were 
     awarded for repeated acts of heroism, bravery and phenomenal 
     aerial combat skills, and are further testimonial to the 
     naval aviation giant we gather to pay tribute to here today. 
     A naval aviator who did what had to be done. A true legend in 
     Naval Aviation. A man who did it his way.
       After the war, from 1945 to 1948, he was assigned several 
     staff positions on the East coast. From October 1948 to 
     January 1951, he was assigned as Senior Naval Aviation 
     Advisor to the Argentine Navy in Buena Aries. From February 
     1951 to July 1952, Cmdr. McCampbell served aboard U.S.S. 
     Franklin Roosevelt as XO and subsequently Plans Officer on 
     the staff of Cmdr Aircraft Command Atlantic. He was promoted 
     to Captain 1 July 1952.
       July 1953 to June 1956, Capt. McCampbell commanded Naval 
     Air Technical Training Center Jacksonville and subsequently 
     served as the Flight Test Coordinator, Naval Air Test Center, 
     PaxRiver, MD. June 1, 1956 to January 1958--Served as staff 
     Cmdr. 6th Fleet, January 1958--assumed command of U.S.S. 
     Severn, and February 1959 to May 1960

[[Page H7646]]

     Capt. McCampbell commanded U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard.
       Subsequent assignments until his retirement on July 1, 
     1964, included such illustrious positions as C/S to Commander 
     Fleet Air and Cmdr Carrier Air Group.
       Today, Capt. McCampbell answers the last rollcall but will 
     always be remembered for what he did for his Navy, Naval 
     Aviation in particular, and this great nation--a nation that 
     is what it is today because of the loyal, professional, and 
     dedicated members of the profession of arms like Captain 
     David McCampbell, U.S. Navy (Retired.)
       And with a little imagination I believe each of us here 
     this afternoon, can visualize David, in his Hellcat on Essex, 
     breaking off a smart salute to the deck hands and heading 
     down the flat flight deck towards mortal combat over the 
     Philippine Sea.
       Today, we bid farewell to a true hero. May God be with you 
     David.
       Semper Fi.

                          ____________________