Edward B. Kinzer

Edward Blaine Kinzer was born in Rock, West Virginia, on 22 August 1917. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 26 February 1941, was appointed Aviation Cadet on 3 April 1941, and was commissioned as an ensign on 20 October 1941. On 12 November 1941 he was assigned to Scouting Squadron 5 on board the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5) as a Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber pilot.

Considered an aggressive and skillful pilot, Kinzer flew with Scouting Squadron 5 in the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War II. He contributed materially to the sinking or damaging of eight Japanese vessels in Tulagi Harbor on 4 May 1942 and the sinking of the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōhō on 7 May 1942. On 8 May 1942, while piloting his dive bomber on anti-torpedo plane patrol during the battle, he died while fiercely engaging "the continued attack of enemy bombing and torpedo planes and their fighter support."[1]

Kinzer was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism and extreme disregard of his own personal safety during the Battle of Coral Sea.

The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Kinzer (DE-232) was named for Ensign Kinzer. After she was launched in 1943, she was converted into the fast transport USS Kinzer (APD-91), and was in commission as such from 1944 to 1946.

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

• Edward B. Kinzer at Find a Grave
• Kinzer Family History