Richard Alonzo Jaccard
Encyclopedia
Richard Alonzo Jaccard was born in Troy, Missouri
and lived in Manhattan, Kansas
.
.
and Kaga
. That afternoon the squadron carried out another devastating attack, sinking carrier Hiryu
, Ens. Jaccard also participated in attacks in the Japanese cruisers Mikuma and Mogami. For his part in a great victory, Jaccard was awarded the Navy Cross
.
There was confusion in the initial dive as McClusky
called out a dive on one carrier, but then dove on the other (Kaga
and Akagi
). This caused VS-6 and VB-6 planes to co-mingle on the first carrier, leaving Lt. Richard Best
to call off the final two sections of VB6 to attack the second carrier. Ensigns Pittman
and Jaccard were flying as wingmen to McClusky
. Pittman
should have been the second man down after McClusky
, but because of confusion over the ship they were diving on, it was Ens. Jaccard who followed McClusky
down. During his dive he apparently mistook his undercarriage lever for the wing-brake lever and slowed his plane by lowering his wheels instead of his brake flaps. While he apparently missed his target on that dive, he is credited with a hit on the Hiryu
(later the same day) and on a Mogami class cruiser the next day.
and Tulagi
as well as the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
in which Enterprise was severely damaged. Bombing 6 was ordered to Efate
where a four plane division including Ens. Jaccard was detached and sent to the .
Ens. Jaccard was killed when Wasp was torpedo
ed and sunk September 15, 1942.
, March 18, 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Ruth Bright Jaccard, wife of Clarence Roy Jaccard and mother of Ensign Jaccard; and commissioned July 26, 1944, Lt. Comdr. C. R. Hamilton in command.
Troy, Missouri
Troy is a city in Lincoln County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 10,540. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.Troy is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and lived in Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
.
Navy career
Jaccard enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve October 29, 1940. He later underwent flight training and upon graduation was commissioned Ensign September 27, 1941. Reporting to famed carrier in April 1942, Ens. Jaccard took part, June 4, 1942, in one of the most important battles in all naval history, the Battle of MidwayBattle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
.
Awarded the Navy Cross
As American carrier groups moved to meet the Japanese thrust at Midway Island, Jaccard, as part of Scouting Squadron 6, attacked enemy carriers during the morning, knocking out AkagiJapanese aircraft carrier Akagi
Akagi was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , originally begun as an . She was converted while still under construction to an aircraft carrier under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty...
and Kaga
Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga
Kaga was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , named after the former Kaga Province in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture...
. That afternoon the squadron carried out another devastating attack, sinking carrier Hiryu
Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu
was a modified Sōryū-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was one of the carriers that began the Pacific War with the attack on Pearl Harbor...
, Ens. Jaccard also participated in attacks in the Japanese cruisers Mikuma and Mogami. For his part in a great victory, Jaccard was awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
.
There was confusion in the initial dive as McClusky
C. Wade McClusky
Rear Admiral Clarence Wade McClusky, Jr., was a United States Navy aviator during World War II. He is credited with playing a major part in the Battle of Midway...
called out a dive on one carrier, but then dove on the other (Kaga
Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga
Kaga was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , named after the former Kaga Province in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture...
and Akagi
Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi
Akagi was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , originally begun as an . She was converted while still under construction to an aircraft carrier under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty...
). This caused VS-6 and VB-6 planes to co-mingle on the first carrier, leaving Lt. Richard Best
Richard Halsey Best
Lieutenant Commander Richard Halsey Best, USN, was a dive-bomber pilot in the United States Navy, during World War II.-Early career :...
to call off the final two sections of VB6 to attack the second carrier. Ensigns Pittman
Pittman
-People:*Al Pittman, , poet and playwright from Newfoundland and Labrador*Antonio Pittman , American football running back for the St. Louis Rams*Bobby J...
and Jaccard were flying as wingmen to McClusky
C. Wade McClusky
Rear Admiral Clarence Wade McClusky, Jr., was a United States Navy aviator during World War II. He is credited with playing a major part in the Battle of Midway...
. Pittman
Pittman
-People:*Al Pittman, , poet and playwright from Newfoundland and Labrador*Antonio Pittman , American football running back for the St. Louis Rams*Bobby J...
should have been the second man down after McClusky
C. Wade McClusky
Rear Admiral Clarence Wade McClusky, Jr., was a United States Navy aviator during World War II. He is credited with playing a major part in the Battle of Midway...
, but because of confusion over the ship they were diving on, it was Ens. Jaccard who followed McClusky
C. Wade McClusky
Rear Admiral Clarence Wade McClusky, Jr., was a United States Navy aviator during World War II. He is credited with playing a major part in the Battle of Midway...
down. During his dive he apparently mistook his undercarriage lever for the wing-brake lever and slowed his plane by lowering his wheels instead of his brake flaps. While he apparently missed his target on that dive, he is credited with a hit on the Hiryu
Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu
was a modified Sōryū-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was one of the carriers that began the Pacific War with the attack on Pearl Harbor...
(later the same day) and on a Mogami class cruiser the next day.
Transferred to Bombing Squadron 6
Ens. Jaccard flew with Bombing Squadron 6 in support of the landings at GuadalcanalGuadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
and Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
as well as the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
Battle of the Eastern Solomons
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign...
in which Enterprise was severely damaged. Bombing 6 was ordered to Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
where a four plane division including Ens. Jaccard was detached and sent to the .
Ens. Jaccard was killed when Wasp was torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed and sunk September 15, 1942.
Namesake
was named in his honor. She was launched by Consolidated Steel Corp., Ltd., Orange, TexasOrange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
, March 18, 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Ruth Bright Jaccard, wife of Clarence Roy Jaccard and mother of Ensign Jaccard; and commissioned July 26, 1944, Lt. Comdr. C. R. Hamilton in command.