31 May 1942.

Dear Mom, Dad, Don, and Mary:

This letter will be mailed only if I do not get
through battle which we expect to come off almost any hour.

I am making a request that this be mailed as soon as
possible after I fail. to return.

As you know, I am the gunner and radioman in a plane
and it is up to me to shoot first and best. I would not
have it any different.

I want you all to know that I am not in the least
worried and Mom, you can be sure that I have been praying
every day and am sure that I will see you "up there."

Perhaps I have not always done the right thing. Only
hope that you do not think too badly of my action.

The best of luck to all of you and be seeing you when
life will be much different, "up there."

Be sure and remember I am only one of many and you are
also only one of many.

Love,

BILL.

So on the evening of June 3, 1942, the pilots of
Torpedo Eight filed into the ready room of the HOR-
NET where Skipper Waldron handed them a mime-
ographed plan of attack. Jap forces had been
sighted heading toward Midway. It looked as
though the squadron would soon see the action for
which it had trained.

At the bottom of their attack sheets, the boys
found a personal message from Skipper Waldron.

= :

UST A WORD to let you know that I feel we are ready.
We have had a very short time to train, and we have worked
under the most severe difficulties. But we have truly done the
best humanly possible. I actually believe that under these
conditions we are the best in the world. My greatest hope is
that we encounter a favorable tactical situation, but if we don’t
and the worst comes to the worst, I want each of us to do his
utmost to destroy our enemies. If there is only one plane left
to make the final run-in, I want that man to go in and get a hit.
May God be with us all. Good luck, happy landings, and give

?em hell!”’

 

However, it was not until the next day after break-
fast that they got their word to go. The teletype in
the ready room tapped eut the message letter by
letter ‘“E-N-E-M-Y N-A-V-A-L U-N-I-T-S S-I-G-H-T-E-D
W-I-T-H-I-N S-T-R-I-K-I-N-G D-I-S-T-A-N-C-E E-X-P-E-C-T-E-D
A gan T-I-M-E 0-9-0-0.. . L-O-O-K-S L-I-K-E T-H-I-S
-§ I-T.”

Skipper Waldron’s final words to the squadron
were, ‘“‘Just follow me; I’ll take you to them.’’