LTJG ROY O. HALE, JR., USN

Class 1938

Born May 10, 1916

Died May 8, 1942

Age 25

Hometown Monroe, Louisiana

Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1938 Lucky Bag:

ROY ORESTUS HALE

Roy

Tennis 4, 3, 2, 1; Masqueraders 4, 2 1; M.P.O.

Blessed with a rare terpsichorean skill and a mellow voice, Roy has long been the answer to a maiden’s prayer. But answering prayers has sometimes proved dull. Then he has sought diversion elsewhere. Choosing his athletics mainly for genuine enjoyment, Roy has been a steady customer of the tennis court and the big pool. Never too busy for a bull session or a bridge game, he has turned in some remarkable performances. Good music, a good book, a good snooze—he enjoys nothing better. A delightful whimsicality and an uncanny intuition for the unusual have added flavor to even his commonplace doings. Generous and dependable, Roy has never forgotten the Golden Rule. To meet again some day somewhere will be a privilege.

Loss

Roy was on May 8, 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea, when his SBD-3 Dauntless dive bomber was accidentally shot down by friendly fire as he attempted to land just minutes after a Japanese attack. He was flying with Scouting Squadron (VS) 2 from USS Lexington (CV 2).

Other Information

From naval aviation historian Richard Leonard via email on February 9, 2018:

Hale was apparently killed by friendly fire as he attempted a landing on Lexington just minutes after the Japanese had completed their attack.

NAS Pensacola attached for HTA flight training, 7/15/1940

NAS Pensacola designated NA # 7086, 1/30/1941

Date of rank LTJG from 1 Jul 1941 USN Register, 6/2/1941

VS-2 USS Lexington (CV-2) DFC BNR, 5/7/1942

His parents were listed as next of kin.

Roy is remembered at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Distinguished Flying Cross

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Roy Orestus Hale, Jr (NSN: 0-81325), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight in the Coral Sea, 7 to 8 May 1942. As Pilot of a Scouting Plane during the Battle of the Coral Sea, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Hale boldly engaged attacking Japanese aircraft in spite of fierce fighter opposition.

General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 317 (August 1943)
Action Date: May 7 - 8, 1942
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade
Company: Scouting Squadron

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together, or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.