Navy Lt. Cmdr. Bruce A. Van Voorhis, piloting a Consolidated PB4Y-1 Privateer, reportedly attacks the Japanese base on Hare (Greenwich) Island in the Carolines, and “makes six bold, ground- level attacks to demolish the enemy’s vital radio station, installations, antiaircraft guns, and to destroy one fighter plane in the air and three on the water. Caught in his own bomb blast, [he] crashed into the lagoon.” He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. After the war, it is determined that little damage was inflicted on the radio station and that Commander Van Voorhis was likely shot down while make a low approach to the airfield.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
