Richard Halsey Best
| Richard Halsey Best | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
March 24, 1910 Bayonne, New Jersey |
| Died | October 28, 2001 (aged 91) Santa Monica, California |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1928–1944 (16 Years) |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant Commander
|
| Battles/wars |
World War II Pacific War |
| Awards |
 Navy Cross Distinguished Flying Cross
|
Lieutenant Commander Richard Halsey "Dick" Best, USN, (March 24, 1910 – October 28, 2001) was a dive-bomber pilot in the United States Navy, during World War II.
Richard H. Best was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1928, and he graduated with honors in 1932. Following his graduation he served for two years aboard the light cruiser USS Richmond. In 1934 he was transferred to the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, as a naval aviation student. He completed his flight training in December 1935 and was assigned to Fighting Squadron Two (VF-2B) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, flying the Grumman F2F. In June 1938, he was given the choice to either join a patrol squadron at Panama or Hawaii, or become a flight instructor at Pensacola. Best chose to go to Pensacola and was assigned to Training Squadron Five, which trained carrier aviation, aerobatics, aerial combat and gunnery, dive bombing, torpedo dropping, formation flying, and instrument flying. As instrument flying became a mandatory requirement, Best also trained the flight instructors.
On May 31, 1940, Best received orders to join Bombing Squadron Six (VB-6) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. Upon arrival at Naval Air Station North Island, California, on June 10, Best became Flight Officer (operations officer) of VB-6. Up to early 1942 Best advanced to Executive Officer and finally Commander of VB-6.
In 1940 VB-6 was equipped with the Northrop BT-1 dive bomber, and converted in late 1941 to the Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless. In the spring of 1942 the SBD-3 replaced the SBD-2, being equipped with an uprated engine, armour, self-sealing fuel tanks and a better armament.
On December 7, 1941, the Enterprise was operating 330 km (150 mi) south of Pearl Harbor. At about 06:15 the carrier launched 18 SBDs to search ahead of the carrier, the Commander of the Enterprise Air Group, LtCdr. Howard L. Young, 12 planes of Scouting Squadron Six (VS-6) and five from VB-6, Best not being among them. Of VB-6, the crew of plane "6-B-3" was lost over Pearl Harbor. On December 10 two pilots of VB-6 would sink the Japanese submarine I-70 at 23°45′N 155°35′W / 23.750°N 155.583°W.
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