Who doesn’t know the story of the bravery of the ill-fated TORPEDO SQUADRON 8 in the BATTLE OF MIDWAY; that each and every single plane was shot down and every aviator of TORPEDO 8 was killed - except one, the SOLE SURVIVOR. ENS. GEORGE GAY (3300-1993) was the only aviator to survive that fateful battle that helped turn the tide of the Naval war in the Pacific against Japan and in favor of the US NAVY.

I spoke with GEORGE on the telephone the middle of October and he was good-naturedly complaining that the doctors had stuck him in the hospital for test after test to find out what, if anything, was wrong with him. They had him in the hospital four weeks and finally released him, according to GEORGE, because they could find nothing wrong with him. We joked that perhaps the doctors just thought his wallet was too thick.

Less than two weeks later, on Friday 21 October, GEORGE GAY joined his buddies from TORPEDO SQUADRON 8 on ETERNAL PATROL, the victim of a sudden heart attack. We wish you fair winds and the sun at your back always, GEORGE.