Perspective: Lt. Norman Jack "Dusty" Kleiss

     Navy Lieutenant Norman Jack "Dusty" Kleiss was a dive-bomber pilot aboard the USS Enterprise CV-6. During the Battle of Midway, he landed the most amount of hits, two on June 4 and one on June 6. His excellence awarded him the Navy Cross and Distinguished Flying Cross.

     On the morning of June 4, 1942, Lt. Kleiss recalled talking to his friend Tom Eversole, a torpedo-bomber pilot. He questioned why torpedo-bombers were being sent on the mission, as everyone knew that they were defective. Eversole himself knew that he would be on a suicide mission. The two said their goodbyes and parted. A few minutes later, Kleiss boarded his plane and took off. He would eventually sight and hit the carrier Kaga. When Lt. Kleiss returned to the Enterprise, his ordinance-men ran out to fold his plane's arming wire into wings; it was a sign of their contribution to the battle.

     Upon returning, Kleiss thought of Tom Eversole. He rushed to sick bay, only to find the remnants of Torpedo Squadron 6; Eversole was not among them. Grieving, he asked what had happened. Explained to him, the squadron was brutally demolished by Japanese defenses. Any planes that were able to fire their torpedos failed to do any damage. Upon return, only four planes were left. Kleiss would never forget the moment he learned of the death of his best friend.

     Hours later, Kleiss would land another hit against the Hiryu, and two days later, one on the cruiser Mikuma. However, his thoughts kept on wandering back to Tom Eversole.

"Breathe a prayer for our suicide TBD squadrons"​​​​​​​

- Lt. "Dusty" Kleiss, Never Call Me a Hero.