"Midway VT-8 Survivor, CAPT Albert K. Earnest" Topic

One of my VMI buddies sent this to me:

From the Golden Eagles network. A

NOTAM 16-2009 (Earnest)

Golden Eagles:

It is my sad duty to inform you that CAPT Albert K. Earnest, USN (Ret.),
made his last takeoff Oct 26, 2009 at Sentra Virginia Beach General
Hospital. Bert was preceded in death by his wife Mildred McConnell
Earnest. He is survived by a daughter, Kathryn Lynn Earnest, of Alexandria
VA, and a son, William Kyle Earnest. Funeral services will be held at the
NAS Oceana Chapel at noon on 14 Nov. Interment with Millie will take place
in the Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium at a date and time to be
determined. We will pass more detailed information when it becomes
available.

He was born April 1, 1917 in Richmond VA, the son of the late James Gifford
Earnest and Jessie Mullan Earnest, both of Richmond VA. He attended
Virginia Military Institute, Class of 1938, graduating with a Bachelor of
Science degree in Civil Engineering, and was commissioned a Second
Lieutenant, Field Artillery, U.S. Army Reserve. Commissioned later an
Ensign, USNR in a transfer to the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1941, he reported
for active duty with Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) on 8 December 1941. He flew
the Grumman TBF-1 in the Battle of Midway with a VT-8 land-based contingent
in its first combat use. He was the only pilot survivor in that group..
Later, in World War II, he continued to serve in a re-constituted VT-8 on
board USS Saratoga (CV-3) supporting the Guadalcanal landing and the Battle
of Eastern Solomons. Bert flew 28 missions while land-based on Guadalcanal
and an additional 55 missions while assigned to VC-7 operating from USS
Manila Bay (CVE-61). His combat awards include 3 Navy Crosses, 2 Air
Medals, and a Purple Heart.

During his 31 years in U.S. Naval Service, CAPT Earnest attended Naval
Postgraduate School in Annapolis MD; General Line School, Newport RI; and
Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington DC.

He commanded Attack Squadron 14A (VA-14A) May 1947-June 1948; Air Task Group
181 (ATG-181) at NAS Oceana Aug 1957- September 1958; the USS Estes (AGC-12)
Oct 1965 Oct 1966; and, finally, NAS Oceana, Oct 1966-Nov 1968.

Additional aviation tours of duty included Tactical Test Division (Aug 1944
- April 1947) where he was the first US pilot to fly the Japanese Torpedo
Bomber "KATE"; Air Development Squadron Four ((VX-4); and Flight Test
(58-60) at NATC Patuxent River MD. He was designated as Navy Jet pilot #62
- flying P-80As, P-59s, and FR-1s.

CAPT Earnest rounded out his Naval career, serving in Paris France as
COMSTRIKFLTLANTREPEUR and SACLANTREPEUR in the early '60's before retiring
from the Assistant Chief of Staff (Logistics) billet, at SACLANT, Norfolk VA
in 1972.

We have lost another WWII hero and one of the last survivors of the Battle
of Midway.
He will be missed,
Sad regards,
H.W. Blot Pilot

Rest in Peace Captain. You may no longer be with us, but your memory and the thanks of a grateful Nation will live on.

BZ Captain and RIP

Rest easy;and thanks.

He was the only pilot survivor in that group…

Hard to imagine what that would have been like to experience.

16 of the 18 men in the VT-8 detachment based on Midway were killed. 29 of the 30 men from VT-8 based on the Hornet were killed in their attack. See my longer post on the WW II Naval Discussion Board:

TMP link

Thank you Capt. Earnest and RIP. May we be worthy.

Reading Herman Wouk's description of this action in "War and Remembrance" gave me an atavistic chill. I had the same reaction in Samuel Eliot Morison's narrative in his Naval Operations book on Midway.
It was like listening to a shaman chant the names of the Fallen. It reinforced to me the necessity of the Catalog of Ships in the Iliad.
The temptation is to skip it, like the poetry in Lord of the Rings. I could not. I had to read and visualize each name.

This is the first time I have heard of his post-Midway career. It was very interesting.
I hope he was honored and remembered in his lifetime.

Bravo Zulu Captain. We thank you sir and pray that we may be worthy. Godspeed and fair winds to you sir.

RIP, Sir. It's your watch below, and thank you.