Table of Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1. Birth of a Hero 3 2. Bessemer to Annapolis 9 3. Going Navy: From Ships to Aviation 15 4. VF-4 and the Ranger 22 5. LSO on the Wasp 27 6. Training Carrier Air Group 15 42 7. Marcus and Wake Islands Raids 53 8.

Marianas Operation Forager Begins 65 9. Iwo Jima 80 10. The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot 88 11. Ozawa's Retreat and Protecting Saipan 99 12. Saipan Operations and Softening Up Guam 106 13. Supporting Landings on Guam and Tinian 116 14. Stalemate II: Palau, Southern Philippines 126 15. Stalemate II: Visayas, Manila Strikes and Second Visayas 133 16.

Okinawa Jima, Nansei Shoto 147 17. Battle of Formosa 151 18. Battle of Leyte Gulf 163 19. Last CAG-15 Strikes 183 20. Post-War Naval Career 199 Appendix A: Aerial Victories 215 Appendix B: Aces of the Navy Fighting Squadron Fifteen (VF-15), December 1, 1944 217 Appendix C: Medal of Honor Citation of Commander David McCampbell 219 Chapter Notes 221 Bibliography 244 Index 249.