Irving D. Wiltsie
| Irving Day Wiltsie | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 14, 1898 Hartford, Connecticut |
| Died | November 24, 1943 (aged 45) At sea aboard Liscome Bay off Makin, Gilbert Islands |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1921-1943 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | Liscome Bay (CVE-56) |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Navy Cross (posthumous) |
Irving Day Wiltsie (14 November 1898 – 24 November 1943) was an officer in the United States Navy.
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Wiltsie graduated in the United States Naval Academy class of 1921. He then served at sea in a succession of ships, including Arizona (BB-39), Wyoming (BB-32), Raleigh (CL-7), and Cleveland (CL-21). Next he underwent flight instruction at NAS Pensacola, Florida, from 1925 to 1927 and was designated as a Naval Aviator. He subsequently served in seaplane aviation units embarked aboard Milwaukee (CL-5), Memphis (CL-13), and Texas (BB-35) before he returned to NAS Pensacola as an instructor. After another tour of sea duty—in Louisville (CA-28)—Wiltsie commanded the Naval Reserve Aviation Base at Minneapolis, Minnesota, from 29 June 1935 to 4 June 1937. He later commanded the bombing squadrons attached to Saratoga (CV-3) from June 1937 to June 1939, before he served at the Naval Air Station San Diego, California. He subsequently joined Yorktown (CV-5) as navigator on 27 June 1941 and received a promotion to commander on 1 July.
Wiltsie remained in Yorktown until her loss at the pivotal Battle of Midway from 4 to 6 June 1942. During the early stages of the action, Wiltsie displayed "outstanding professional ability" as he provided complete and accurate navigational information to air plot, thus enabling the carrier's air group to pinpoint their targets.
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