Louis, thank you for your families service to our country. Quite a record, and one to be proud of. Courage, duty, and sacrifice. Your post makes concepts like those concrete. Thanks for sharing your families story, part of a greater, ongoing story.

"Many of my friends are now dead. To a man, each died with a nonchalance that each would have denied as courage. They simply called it lack of fear. If anything great or good is born of this war, it should not be valued in the colonies we may win nor in the pages historians will attempt to write, but rather in the youth of our country, who never trained for war; rather almost never believed in war, but who have, from some hidden source, brought forth a gallantry which is homespun, it is so real."

 "When you hear others saying harsh things about American youth, do all in your power to help others keep faith with those few who gave so much. Tell them that out here, between a spaceless sea and sky, American youth has found itself and given itself so that, at home, the spark may catch. There is much I cannot say, which should be said before it is too late. It is my fear that national inertia will cancel the gains won at such a price. My luck can't last much longer, but the flame goes on and on."

--Ensign William R. Evans, USN, a pilot of Torpedo Squadron 8, KIA at Midway, 4 June 1942.

The previous quote, was taken from a letter written by Ens. Evans, to his parents on the eve of battle, June 1942. Within a few days of it's posting to the states, he and twenty-eight of his squadron mates would be dead.

The model I have built, is in the honor of Ens, Evans and the entire "Torpedo Eight" contingent who perished at Midway.

Here are the final pictures.

10 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Excellent work!

I book I have read, "A Dawn Like Thunder" by former NY Congressman Bob Mrazak, is an accounting of VT-8, and it's exploits during the war. It chronicles the men who flew,fought and died at Midway, breathing life into just names in a photograph. While there are a few historical inaccuracies in the text, for the most part it is an excellent read. The reason I chose to build Evans' TBD, was because of the fact that he was a child of privilege. Educated at Wesleyan University, he chose to enlist, rather than get the deferment his parents wanted him to get. He was perhaps the most eloquent of the VT-8 aircrews, which I felt was perfectly exhibited in his last letter to his parents.

It also added human touch to what we are modeling. These men, both American and Japanese, were living breathing people, who literally fought to the death defending their respective countries.