F4F-3 Wildcat, Butch O'Hare

Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare became the U.S. Navy's first ace on February 20, 1942 when he became the first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. He was credited with saving the USS Lexington by downing five of nine G4M Betty bombers attacking the ship. LCDR O’Hare’s was killed in action on the night of November 26, 1943, shot down while pioneering a Navy nighttime fighter interception. This Wildcat was recovered after some 55 years under Lake Michigan, where it crashed during a training flight off of the training aircraft carrier USS Wolverine (IX-64). It is finished to represent the aircraft LCDR O’Hare’s flew on his Medal of Honor flight.