Louis Robert Norman

First Lieutenant Louis Norman was a scout-bomber pilot assigned to VMSB-141, part of the “Cactus Air Force” that operated out of Guadalcanal. He arrived at Henderson Field on 30 September 1942 and began flying combat missions in the Solomon Islands, often with Sergeant Joseph Astronskas in the gunner seat.

On 8 October 1942, a group of six Japanese ships was spotted lurking near New Georgia. A strike force consisting of eleven Wildcats and eleven bombers was rapidly organized and departed from Henderson Field at 1655. Lieutenant Norman jumped into the cockpit of a Dauntless dive bomber (SBD-3 #03255) but, for some reason, Sergeant Astronskas was not available for the mission. Instead, ARM2c Alfred W. Dobson of Navy squadron VS-3 flew with Norman.

The Americans spotted the Japanese fleet at 1825 and commenced their attack, claiming some hits on a cruiser. Ten Mitsubishi FM1 “Pete” floatplanes rose to challenge the raiders; two Japanese and one American went down in the battle area, and both sides retired in darkness. Several American planes became separated from their formation and had to find their way home by dead reckoning or luck. Lieutenant (j.g.) Raymond Myers of VF-5 was flying around in the darkness when he spotted the recognition lights of an SBD.