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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Captain Edwin John "Bud" Kroeger was designated a Naval Aviator in 1938. He was a dive bomber pilot assigned to Bombing Squadron Six attached to the USS ENTERPRISE. He was part of a scouting mission ordered by Admiral Halsey as ENTERPRISE made her way to Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941. After completion of his mission, Kroeger flew on to Pearl Harbor, arriving in the middle of the surprise attack. Later on Feb 1, 1942 during the Marshall and Gilbert raids he was wounded in the left foot by fighters while attacking Taroa Island.

Recovering in time, he returned to squadron VB-6 on the ENTERPRISE for the Battle of Midway. Flying as wingman to VB-6 Commanding Officer Dick Best, he took part in the "famous five minutes" during the Battle of Midway, June 4, 1942 and hit the Japanese flagship the carrier AKAGI with a 1,000-pound bomb, thereby contributing to its demise.

He later took part in the sinking of HIRYU that afternoon. The afternoon of June 4 he attacked the fourth carrier SORYO which was sunk. He flew the last combat sortie of the battle, flying a photo mission of the stricken cruiser MIKUMA on June 6, 1942.

During his second war cruise he was part of strikes against Okinawa, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and he fought in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He became the Wing Commander of the carrier MIDWAY with an air group of five squadrons.

Decorations: Navy Cross, Bronze Star, 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 3 Air Medals, Purple Heart, 4 Presidential Unit Citations.