John Eldridge, Jr.
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| John Eldridge, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| October 10, 1903 - November 2, 1942 | |
| Place of birth | Buckingham County, Virginia |
| Place of death | KIA in the Solomon Islands |
| Allegiance | USN |
| Years of service | 1927-1942 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Commander |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Navy Cross |
LCDR John Eldridge, Jr., USN (10 October 1903 – 2 November 1942) was a U.S. Navy officer who received the Navy Cross posthumously for his role in the U.S. invasion of the Solomon Islands during World War II.
Eldridge was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1927. After flight training at Pensacola, Florida, he served at various stations on aviation duty. From 11 September 1941 he was Commander, Scouting Squadron 71, attached to Wasp (CV-7). LCDR Eldridge was killed in action in the Solomon Islands on 2 November 1942. For his extraordinary heroism in leading the air attack on Japanese positions in the initial invasion of the Solomons on 7 August and 8 August 1942, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
The destroyer escort USS Eldridge (DE-173) was named in his honor.
[edit] References
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
Categories: Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships | 1903 births | 1942 deaths | American military personnel of World War II | Naval aviators | Navy Cross recipients | United States Naval Academy graduates | United States Navy officers | American World War II killed in action | People from Virginia
