Archie Glenn Donahue (October 24, 1917 – July 30, 2007) was a decorated American combat pilot and a

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...

fighter

ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ca ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He shot down a total of 14 Japanese planes during the war, including five in a single day.

Early life and career

Archie G. Donahue was born in

Casper, Wyoming Casper is a city in, and the county seat of, Natrona County, Wyoming, United States. Casper is the second-largest city in the state, with the population at 59,038 as of the 2020 census. Only Cheyenne, the state capital, is larger. Casper is ni ...

, on October 24, 1917. He studied engineering at the University of Texas before joining the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

in March 1941.

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diff ...

Donahue earned his wings three days before the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawa ...

. Shortly after, he transferred to the Marine Corps.

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...

Donahue was assigned to Marine Fighting Squadron 112 (VMF-112). While training other pilots in aerial gunnery, Donahue was nearly killed when the tail of his

F4F Wildcat The Grumman F4F Wildcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that entered service in 1940 with the United States Navy, and the British Royal Navy where it was initially known as the Martlet. First used by the British in the North Atlan ...

was sheared off in a midair collision over

Marine Corps Air Station El Toro Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located next to the community of El Toro, near Irvine, California. Before it was decommissioned in 1999, it was the home of Marine Corps Aviation on the West Coast. ...

. Donahue bailed out almost immediately, but was underneath his plane and was afraid to deploy his parachute. He deployed his parachute 150 feet above the ground and sustained no injuries.

Solomon Islands campaign

On November 2, 1942, Donahue's squadron joined the

Cactus Air Force Cactus Air Force refers to the ensemble of Allied air power assigned to the island of Guadalcanal August 1942 until December 1942 during the early stages of the Guadalcanal Campaign, particularly those operating from Henderson Field. The term ...

at Henderson Field on

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the se ...

. Donahue scored his first aerial victory, a

Zero 0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation such as the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, 0 also serves as a placeholder numerical digit, which works by multiplying digits to the left of 0 by the radix, usu ...

, on November 14. Donahue quickly contracted malaria and was sent to

Sydney, Australia Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...

to recover. As soon as he was well again, Donahue returned to Guadalcanal. On May 13, 1943, Donahue's flight engaged in a one hour long dogfight west of

Florida Island The Nggela Islands, also known as the Florida Islands, are a small island group in the Central Province of Solomon Islands, a sovereign state (since 1978) in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The chain is composed of four larger islands and about ...

. Donahue possibly became an

ace in a day The term "ace in a day" is used to designate a pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day, based on usual definition of an " ace" as one with five or more aerial victories. World War I Ace in a day on two occasions A Bristol ...

, as he was confirmed to have shot down four Zeros, and probably shot down a fifth. A fellow Marine verified the fifth kill, but Donahue was never credited for it. Tragically, Donahue's wingman, Otto Seifert, was killed in the dogfight. Two days later, Donahue claimed two more victories, but was forced to make an emergency landing in the Russell Islands when his plane was hit by enemy fire. After landing, Donahue was forced to take cover when Japanese fighters started strafing him. Promoted to

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, Donahue scored nine aerial victories during the

Solomon Islands campaign The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, ...

Battle of Okinawa

In February of 1944, Donahue was assigned to the newly formed Marine Fighting Squadron 451 (VMF-451) at Marine Corps Air Station Mojave. The squadron was attached to the USS ''Bunker Hill'', taking part in raids over mainland Japan and supporting the Marine landings at Iwo Jima. The squadron then participated in bombing missions on

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

, just prior to the

invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing co ...

. Several Marines with the squadron were shot down and killed, and Donahue was made the executive officer. On April 12, 1945, Major Donahue finally earned the title of ace in a day, personally shooting down three Vals and two Zekes with his

F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contract ...

off the coast of Okinawa. This feat made Donahue the first carrier-based Marine ace in a day. Donahue was awarded the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for his actions that day, and the award was personally presented to him by Vice Admiral

Marc Mitscher Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher (January 26, 1887 – February 3, 1947) was a pioneer in naval aviation who became an admiral in the United States Navy, and served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific during the latter half of ...

. On the morning of May 11, Donahue had just returned from a flying mission when the USS ''Bunker Hill'' was struck by two kamikazes and over 390 sailors and Marines were killed, including one pilot from VMF-451. Donahue survived the kamikaze attack unscathed, but the attack ended the war for his squadron. He finished the war with 14 aerial victories to his credit. Besides his Navy Cross, Major Donahue was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses and five

Air Medals The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

Post-war

Donahue continued serving in the Marine Corps after the war, retiring as a

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

in 1958. From 1981 to 1991, he worked for the Confederate Air Force, an organization devoted to restoring World War II aircraft. Archie G. Donahue died on July 30, 2007, in Rio Hondo, Texas. He was subsequently cremated.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donahue, Archie 1917 births 2007 deaths United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II American World War II flying aces Aviators from Wyoming People from Casper, Wyoming Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) United States Marine Corps colonels United States Marine Corps pilots of World War II United States Naval Aviators Recipients of the Air Medal

Early life and career

Solomon Islands campaign

Battle of Okinawa

Post-war

See also

References