Clarence E. Dickinson
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Clarence Earle Dickinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 1, 1912 Jacksonville, Florida, US |
| Died | October 4, 1984 (aged 71) Santa Monica, California, US |
| Buried | National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1934–1953 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Battles/wars | World War II
|
| Awards | 3 Navy Cross Air Medal |
Clarence Earle Dickinson, Jr. (December 1, 1912 – October 4, 1984) was a United States Navy Naval Aviator who took a prominent part in the Battle of Midway in June 1942 during World War II.
Early life
Clarence Earl Dickinson Jr. was born on 1 December 1912, in Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, United States, to Clarence Earle Dickinson Sr and his wife Thurber Gore. He lived in New Hanover, North Carolina in 1920 and Fayetteville, Cumberland in 1930. He registered for military service in 1941.
Clarence Dickinson graduated from the Annapolis Naval Academy in 1934. On the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, his unit was the Sixth Squadron VS6, he was at sea with the USS Enterprise. Sent to Hawaii the day of the attack on a Reconnaissance mission, his plane was attacked by embarked Japanese fighters which shot it down, killing its tail gunner. However, he managed to escaped by parachute, landed near Ewa Airfield, and proceeded to the naval air station, Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. After that he was immediately assigned to a 175 mile aerial search operations at sea, his recent ordeal not having been reported to his superiors.[1]
He then participated in the raid on the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, and in the Battle of Midway (June 4-6, 1942) as second in command of the Sixth Squadron, then commanded by Lieutenant Richard Best. In the attack on the Japanese fleet, Dickinson and 4 dive bombers from his squadron attacked the Japanese Aircraft Carrier Kaga scoring the third of four hits with 250 kg bombs disabling the large carrier. [2] After the attack, he was shot down by Japanese fighters, managed to survive along with his gunner, was rescued and returned to service.
At the end of the war, Lieutenant Dickinson's outstanding courage, daring airmanship and determined skill were at all times inspiring and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He was the only serviceman to receive three Navy Crosses, and he ended his military career with the rank of Rear Admiral (a rank equivalent to Vice Admiral).
Personal life
He married Florence K. Galloway on 18 December 1971, in Monterey, California. Clarence has younger two siblings, Billy Dickinson (born 1913) and Thurber Gore Dickinson (born 1918).
Death
He died on 4 October 1984, in Los Olivos, Santa Barbara, California, United States, at the age of 71, and was buried in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
In popular culture
- Luke Kleintank portrayed Dickinson in the 2019 film Midway.
References
External links
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