Eugene A. Greene

Greene was born on 21 November 1921 in Smithtown, New York. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 13 January 1941, and after aviation training, was commissioned ensign on 30 August 1941.

Serving as a Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber pilot in Bombing Squadron 6 (VB-6) based on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6), Greene was killed in action on 4 June 1942 in the Battle of Midway. He distinguished himself in breaking through heavy Japanese fighter and antiaircraft opposition to dive-bomb an Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier. Greene survived the attack on the Kaga; ENS Lewis Hopkins said his plane formed up with him on his wing. Eventually his aircraft ran out of fuel and he was forced to ditch in the ocean. He and his gunner were never seen again.

Ensign Greene was awarded the Navy Cross[1] posthumously for his selfless heroism.

In 1943, the name Eugene A. Greene was assigned to the U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Eugene A. Greene (DE-549). Her construction was cancelled in 1944 before she could be completed.

In 1944, the destroyer USS Eugene A. Greene (DD-711) was named in his honor. She was in commission from 1945 to 1972.

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