Fateful Rendezvous: The Life of Butch O'Hare

Perhaps the most famous aviator of World War II, Butch O'Hare captured America's hearts and headlines in 1942 after saving the carrier Lexington in what has been called the most daring single action in the history of combat aviation - the downing of five attacking Japanese bombers. Yet the untimely and still controversial death of this Medal of Honor recipient the next year cast a shadow over O'Hare's legacy.
This first full biography, written with the O'Hare family's cooperation and utilizing recently released Japanese war records, chronicles the short but eventful life of the American hero and sheds new light on his mysterious death. Seasoned naval aviation historians, the authors describe in fascinating detail O'Hare's awe-inspiring feats of aerial combat and his key role in developing tactics such as the Thach Weave and the night-fighting techniques that helped defeat the Japanese.

John B. Lundstrom is curator of American and military history at the Milwaukee Public Museum.