Thomas William Benson, Jr.
Second Lieutenant Thomas W. “Tom” Benson, Jr. was a Marine Corps pilot who flew with VMF-221.
He was shot down and reported missing in the battle of Midway on 4 June 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-9033
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
September 3, 1920
at Boone, IA
Parents
Thomas William Benson, Sr.
Mary Wilson (McAlpine) Benson
Education
Boone High School (1938)
Some college (details unknown)
Occupation & Employer
Grocery Clerk
Service Life
Entered Service
March 20, 1942 (officer)
Home Of Record
1610 Greene Street
Boone, IA
Next Of Kin
Father, Mr. Thomas Benson
Military Specialty
Pilot
Assistant Radio Officer
Primary Unit
VMF-221
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Second Lieutenant Benson was a Marine Corps fighter pilot assigned to VMF-221. His squadron was based at Midway Island in early 1942; Benson flew an outdated F2A-3 “Buffalo” fighter and was the wingman of Captain Herbert Merrill of 2 Division. On the ground, Lieutenant Benson served as the squadron’s Assistant Radio and Communications Officer
At 0600 hours on 4 June 1942, Major Floyd B. Parks led the squadron aloft to intercept a large group of Japanese fighters and bombers bearing down on Midway. The 2 Division followed Captain Daniel J. Hennessy into an orbit pattern 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, Benson’s wingman 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 Lieutenant Benson’s demise; his F2A-3 #01528 failed to return to Midway, and was reported as missing in action. On 5 June 1943, Benson was officially declared dead.
Burial Information or Disposition
Shot down at sea; remains not recovered.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of father, Mt. Thomas Benson.
Location Of Loss
Benson was shot down at an unspecified point after departing from Midway.
