Oswald J. Gaynier

Oswald Jopseh Gaynier was born in Monroe, Michigan, on 4 March 1915. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve as a seaman second class on 3 October 1940 and was appointed Aviation Cadet on 10 December 1940. Commissioned as an ensign on 3 June 1941, he was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 8 on 25 August 1941.

In the half of the squadron transitioning to the new Grumman TBF Avenger aircraft in 1942, Ensign Gaynier was not aboard USS Hornet (CV-8) when the ship left Pearl Harbor for the Battle of Midway with the rest of the squadron. Instead, he was in a detachment of six TBFs that flew to Midway Island on 1 June 1942. Led by Lieutenant Langdon K. Fieberling, the detachment participated in the uncoordinated attack by USN, USMC, and USAAF aircraft on the morning of 4 June against the Japanese Carrier Striking Force. Lacking fighter protection and overwhelmed by Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero interceptors, Ensign Gaynier and most of the detachment were shot down and killed. Only Ensign Albert K. Earnest and his radioman, RM3 Harry Ferrier, survived to return to Midway.

For his extraordinary heroism and meritorious devotion to duty at Midway, Ensign Gaynier was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously.

The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Gaynier (DE-751), launched in 1944 but never completed, was named for Ensign Gaynier.

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