Daniel Joseph Hennessy
Captain Daniel J. “DJ” Hennessy was a Marine Corps pilot and executive officer of VMF-221.
He was shot down and reported missing in the battle of Midway on 4 June 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number O-5356
Current Status
Remains not recovered.
Pursuit Category
Based on circumstances of loss, this individual is considered permanently non-recoverable.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
May 20, 1914
at Reynolds, ND
Parents
Daniel Joseph Hennessy
Mary Ann (Geraghty) Hennessy
Education
University of North Dakota (1935)
Occupation & Employer
Professional Marine
Service Life
Entered Service
July 6, 1936 (enlisted)
March 31, 1937 (officer)
Home Of Record
107½ 4th Avenue NW
Mandan, ND
Next Of Kin
Wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Jeanette Hennessy
Military Specialty
Pilot
Squadron executive officer
Primary Unit
VMF-221
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Captain “DJ” Hennessy, an experienced Marine officer and fighter pilot, served with VMF-221 during the opening months of World War II. As the squadron’s executive officer, he acted as second-in-command to Major Floyd B. Parks and led the six-plane 2 Division on combat patrols. Like most of his squadron, Captain Hennessy flew an outdated F2A-3 “Buffalo” fighter; his wingman was 2Lt. Ellwood Q. Lindsay.
At 0600 hours on 4 June 1942, Major Parks led his squadron aloft to intercept a large group of Japanese fighters and bombers bearing down on Midway. Hennessy’s division was told to orbit over Midway itself in case more Japanese planes appeared from another direction. Within minutes, however, they were vectored into the dogfight and radar “could no longer differentiate between friend and foe.”
Only two of the 2 Division pilots survived the battle – and one of them, Captain Herbert Merrill, was wounded and bailed out of his stricken fighter. Captain Philip R. White, the only pilot to land his Buffalo, made a report which stated in part:
Captain Hennessy led us in an attack on the horizontal bombers. There were three formation of nine planes to the formation. After the first pass I lost my wingman and the rest of the division....
The F2A-3 is not a combat aeroplane. It is inferior to the planes we were fighting in every respect... The Japanese Zero fighter can run circles around the F2A-3.... It is my belief that any commander that orders pilots out for combat in a F2A-3 should consider the pilot as lost before leaving the ground.
There are no eyewitness accounts of Captain Hennessy’s demise; his F2A-3 #01522 failed to return to Midway, and was reported as missing in action. On 5 June 1943, Hennessy was officially declared dead.
Burial Information or Disposition
Shot down at sea; remains not recovered.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of wife, Mrs. Jeanette Hennessy.
Location Of Loss
Hennessy was shot down at an unspecified point after departing from Midway.
Comment from Patrick Phillips
9 June 2012
Thank you for posting this info about my aunt’s husband, Daniel J. Hennessy, who was MIA in the defense of Midway on 4 June 1942. Rest in Peace, uncle!
Comment from Kory Bjerke
3 August 2012
I HAVE VISITED PUNCHBOWL NATIONAL CEMETERY OF THE PACIFIC SEVERAL TIMES BEING A MARINE STATIONED AT KANEOHE BAY AND FROM GRAFTON, N.D., I NOTICED THE NAME CAPT. HENNESSY ON THE WALL OF MARINES AT MEMORIAL,I GOT OUT OF THE MARINE CORPS SEVERAL YEARS AGO BUT STILL GO BACK TO PUNCH BOWL CEMETERY IN HAWAII EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS.
Comment from Dan Hennessy
12 October 2012
I also want to thank you for publishing this information . He was my Uncle Joe . One of his brothers flew a B-17 in Europe later in the war . He had named his plane ” Captain Joe “.
—Daniel Joseph Hennessy