This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Shaun Thomas (Underdog), OSC
to remember
McCusky, Elbert Scott (Ace of Midway NC2x), CAPT.
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Contact Info
Last Address Little Rock
Date of Passing Jun 15, 1997
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
We just shot his ass off!" McCuskey whooped when he and his wingman downed a Japanese flying boat in early 1942.
Central Pacific Campaign (1941-43)/Bombardment - Marshall and Gilbert Islands
From Month/Year
February / 1942
To Month/Year
February / 1942
Description Two carrier task forces (Vice Adm. W. F. Halsey and Rear Adm. F. J. Fletcher) and a bombardment group (Rear Adm. R. A. Spruance), totaling 2 aircraft carriers, 5 cruisers, and 10 destroyers, attack Kwajalein, Wotje, Maloelap, Jaluit, and Mili in the Marshall Islands and Makin, Gilbert Islands. United States naval vessels damaged: Carrier ENTERPRISE (CV-6), by suicide bomber, Marshall- Gilberts raid, Heavy cruiser CHESTER (CA-27), by dive bomber, Marshall- Gilberts raid,
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
February / 1942
To Month/Year
February / 1942
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Yorktown cast off from Norfolk, headed through the Panama Canal, and tied up at San Diego. She then escorted a convoy carrying Marine reinforcements to American Samoa and joined USS Enterprise (CV-6). The two carriers planned to strike simultaneously two widely separated targets: the 'Big E' would hit the Marshall Islands, Yorktown bases in the Gilberts. The raids were basically failures, Yorktown caused little damage to the enemy, but lost seven planes and sixteen men in accidents. But while returning eastward on February 1, VF-42 got on the scoreboard. Radar picked up a bogey and the ship went to battle stations. McCuskey and Ensign John Adams went after the intruder, a Kawanishi H6K flying boat, code-named Mavis, flying near Yorktown. The crew watched as the two Wildcat pilots chased the big plane into a cloud, and listened on the ship's PA to the radio chatter. The two ensigns were yelling like cowboys. The Jap plane never came out, just pieces falling out of the sky. An excited McCuskey cried out "We just shot his ass off!" The two pilots shared that credit.
