Son of Bert Felix and America Scott Humfleet of Knox and Madison county, KY

USS Hornet (CV-8) departed Norfolk, VA for the Pacific in March 1942. Shortly
after arriving in the Pacific, Hornet got underway to participate in the
Doolittle Raid against Japan. On 4 Jun 1942 aircraft from the USS Hornet, USS
Yorktown and the USS Enterprise launched to attack the Japanese Striking Force
carriers approaching the Midway Atoll. Later in the battle the USS Yorktown
(CV-5) was severely damaged during enemy Japanese attacks. Because she was
listing heavily Yorktown was unable to land her returning aircraft. One of
Yorktown's pilots who attempted to land aboard the Hornet was *href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=49313013">Ensign
Daniel C. Sheedy, whose VF-3 F4F Wildcat fighter had been badly shot up
during the attacks on the Kido Butai. He himself was wounded in the leg and
shoulder. As a result, his ability to land his fighter was seriously impaired.
He was also unaware that shellfire had disable a switch on his instrument panel
that would put his machine guns in the "safe" mode for landing. When his plane
landed its right landing gear collapsed causing his plane to swerve toward the
Hornet's island. The impact set off his machine guns. A burst of .50 caliber
bullets sprayed both the island and a group of men standing nearby. Killed were
three ship's company marines, href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56111639">Platoon
Sargeant William Burt Ignatious, href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56128048">PFC Fred
Wilfred Cummings Jr., and Pvt Lowell Edward Humfleet. Also killed was href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56125583">Seaman 2/c
Elmer Arthur Meyer (NSN:283-49-50), VB-8, and the after 5-inch gun control
officer href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56111668">Lt Royal
Rodney Ingersoll, son of the commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5074522">Admiral
Royal Eason Ingersoll. Pvt Humfleet was buried at sea. He was awarded the
Purple Heart medal.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*Excerpts about Ensign Sheedy's plane accident were taken from Craig L. Symonds
"The Battle of Midway" pub 2011, p. 317 and the names of those killed taken from
the USS Hornet's Midway Battle After Action report dated 13 Jun 1942, Enclosure
(B)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
[bio compiled by G47]


-------------------------