Harold Buell

Navy dive bomber pilot

By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

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Harold Buell

Harold "Hal" Buell was born on November 4, 1919 in Keokuk, Iowa, the only son of Waldo and Gertrude Buell. Orphaned at age four, he was reared in Iowa and attended Parsons College in Fairfield Iowa. He began flying at Parsons in the fall of 1939 as part of a government civilian pilot training program. Wishing to continue flying as a career, he realized that military flight training was the best way as well as the only way to go. He discussed this with this adopted parents. Hal told he that they sat at the kitchen table and he calmly explained that the Navy would be the only way he would ever be able to afford further flight training. His mother and father understood and let Hal make the decision himself. Hal joined the Naval Aviation Cadet program in January 1941.

Commissioned an Ensign with Wings of Gold a month before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Hal had no idea what was about to happen. Hal actually believed that if he ever saw combat it would be in the Atlantic against Hitler. After the Japanese attack, Hal continuing his training. Harold was assigned to VS-5 on the Yorktown arriving only two weeks before the Battle of the Coral Sea where he flew scouting missions. He did not actually see combat at the Coral Sea, but the tensions and combat stress was the same. At Midway Hal flew scouting missions off the Saratoga.

Buell’s squadron was then assigned to the Enterprise. The carrier Hal and his squadron was becoming comfortable on was on its way to the Battle for Guadalcanal. In the Battle of Eastern Solomon’s, the Enterprise launched its aircraft including Hal who was part of an eleven-plane group, to attack the enemy fleet. During the battle the Enterprise was badly damaged giving  Hal and his group no choice but to land on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. The Enterprise was forced out of the combat area and back to Pearl Harbor for repairs. Hal and the others were to stay and fight daily with the Marines who had been there for a month the entire episode a bloody siege of that island.

Hal and his fellow SBD pilots finally got back to Pearl Harbor only after a month of almost daily bloody aerial combat with the Navy and Marines pilots losing pilots to injuries and death. Hal was given a brief down time before he was called up for another war cruise. Back on the Enterprise in a new squadron, VB-10, Harold participated in the Battle of Santa Cruz, and in November, Defense of Guadalcanal before returning to the States for rest and reassignment in mid-1943.

Assigned to VB-2 based on Hornet, Buell returned to combat in March 1944. As leader of his own division of six planes he called "Buell and Company", they began a period of destruction of enemy ships and shore targets; it wasn’t long before Admiral Jocko Clack was calling on "Buell and Company" to take out especially tough Japanese targets, both ashore and afloat. Historians have told Hal that "Buell and Company" sank more enemy tonnage than any other six-plane group in the Navy.

On June 20, 1944 flying Helldiver number 48, Buell led his group from the Hornet to Attack a Japanese carrier task force west of the Marianas. The enemy carriers were over 300 miles away, well outside of normal strike range chances of making it back. If they did return and find the fleet and land they would be taken aboard in the dark with a fuel shortage and chances slim. They flew into the setting sun knowing that they would have to return into a very black sky. Arriving over the main Japanese force, Hal requested permission for "Buell and Company" to attack the Japanese carrier, Zuikaku. The large carrier was cruising in an eleven-ship formation 15,000 feet below.

At 12,000 feet, the antiaircraft fire was so intense Hal was aware that he might not make it through it. With his dive brakes already fully extended, he closed them causing his Helldiver to literally fall out of the sky toward the target below.

Harold knew that the brakes might not reopen and thus he would not be able to pull out of his dive! With the Zuikaku growing larger every second in his sights, Harold was now out of the antiaircraft pattern. He reached down and pulled the lever to reopen the dive brakes. By the grace of God they opened!

The Zuikaku was turning desperately to avoid the attacking Helldivers but Hal carefully followed it in his dive and fired his bombs at point blank range followed by his group. Several hits were made on the carrier with two of the three bombs of Hal's finding their target.

This is a profile of the Zuikaku by another artist.

While pulling out of his dive Hal was hit by AA fire in the right wing which ripped open a large hole; fragments of the shell hit Hal in the back, causing a minor wound. Although severely damaged, he returned to Task Force 58 in darkness and in an attempt to land. Though his injuries were minor they were not at the time when he was unable to tend to his wounds. Stress and fatigue with throbbing scrape metal wounds he crashed his SB2C on the deck of the Lexington.

Hal Buell had more actual combat time with VS-5, VB-10 and VB-2 based on the Yorktown, Saratoga, Enterprise, and Hornet than any other dive bomber pilot in the Pacific War. He participated in sixteen battles, raids, and invasions during three war cruises and a Guadalcanal combat tour with the Cactus Air Force.

He was decorated over twenty times including the Navy Cross, Silver Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, eleven Air medals, two Purple Hearts, four Presidential Unit Citations, and the Navy Unit Commendations.

Harold Buell retired from the Navy as Commander with 21 years service. He then earned three college degrees including a Ph.D. from Florida State University. He retired again after 20-year second career in Florida mental health work, college administration and teaching.

Hal and his Helldiver

Hal would definitely be considered an Ace when it came to hitting and sinking Japanese ships!

Hal hit 14 enemy ships helping in the sinking of 12 of them.

Hal Buell today in his Home and office.

Squadron Emblem

Photo of Hal after his first solo.

Model of Hal's F9 Cougar he flew.

Hal Buell and Ernie Boyette

All research, writings and artwork are by Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette.

No one is permitted to republish any part of this story with out my personal permission.

Please call or e-mail me for any use of this story.

I do not mind sharing, I do not mind people or groups linking to this page, I just need to register them on my "LINKS" page. Thanks!

Sir. Ernie Hamilton Boyette

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