David John Roche

Who was David John Roche?

David John Roche, born in Hibbing, Minnesota December 2, 1918 enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve as seaman second class on November 13, 1939. He was appointed aviation cadet effective February 15, 1940, designated naval aviator, October 14, and became an ensign, USNR, effective October 21, 1940. Following training at Pensacola Naval Air Station, he was assigned to Torpedo Squadron 3 and reported for duty on December 1. He was officially reported missing in action as of June 4, 1942, when the plane he was piloting was shot down in the Battle of Midway. For pressing home his torpedo attack on Japanese naval units in the face of tremendous antiaircraft fire and overwhelming fighter opposition, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.