William O. Burch

William Oscar Burch Jr. (June 27, 1904 – January 21, 1989) was a decorated naval aviator and triple Navy Cross recipient during who reached the rank of rear admiral in the United States Navy.

Early life and education William Oscar Burch Jr. was born to William Oscar and Elizabeth Burch (née Metzler) in Paducah, Kentucky, 27 June 1904. He became an Eagle Scout in 1922, and in 1923 he was accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1927. While there, he participated in soccer, baseball, and bowling. After graduating from Annapolis in 1927, he was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy.

Early military career

Upon receiving his commission, Ensign Burch was assigned to the , followed by the . In March 1930, he reported to the Naval Air Station Pensacola for flight instruction and graduated as a naval aviator near the end of that year. Following flight instruction, he became a junior aviation officer aboard the . In May 1933 he returned to Pensacola as a flight instructor until June 1935.

World War II

Lieutenant Commander Burch was a flight leader in Scouting Squadron FIVE (VS-5) attached to the , flying the Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber. Burch and VS-5 took part in the Invasion of Salamaua–Lae on March 10, 1942. Performing dive bombing attacks on Japanese forces, VS-5 achieved seven direct hits, resulting in the sinking of three ships. One of those direct hits was from Burch, resulting in him being awarded his first Navy Cross. The following day, May 8, 1942, Burch led his squadron on another attack, targeting the . Again, Burch successfully dropped his payload, directly hitting the deck of the Shōkaku amidships. The Shōkaku sustained three direct hits, leaving her severely damaged. For his actions in the engagements at the invasion of Tulagi and the Battle of the Coral Sea, Burch was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of his second Navy Cross by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Commanding Officer, Captain Dixie Kiefer, USN (right), and Executive Officer, Commander William O. Burch Jr., USN (left), on the bridge of the

In June and August 1942, Burch served as a carrier training officer in the Pacific. Following that assignment, he served as an executive officer for the Advanced Carrier Training Group until October 1942. As a prospective commanding officer of the , Burch reported to Naval Station Newport. Burch was given the position of executive officer upon the Ticonderoga'''s commissioning in May 1944. Deployed to the Pacific Ocean as part of Task Force 38, the Ticonderoga was near Formosa on January 21, 1945, when she was attacked by a Japanese kamikaze, causing a fire in the hangar deck. Executive Officer Burch was the first to man a hose and organized fire-fighting crews. For his actions on the USS Ticonderoga'' Burch was awarded a second Gold Star in lieu of a third Navy Cross. He served in that position until June 1945.

Post war career With the end of World War II, Burch's next assignment was as Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale. He held that role at the same time as doomed Flight 19 in December 1945.