| Lieutenant David McCampbell (January 16, 1910 – June 30, 1996), Landing Signal Officer, bringing in planes aboard USS Wasp (CV-7), circa late 1941 or early 1942. Behind him is the Assistant Landing Signal Officer, Ensign George D. “Doc” Savage (1911 – June 8, 1993). In the catwalk in the lower center are Seaman (“Len?”) Homer Robinson Ford (February 4, 1924 – June 1, 2014) and Lieutenant Hawley Russell (July 27, 1913 – April 4, 2000). Caption details were provided by United States Navy Captain David McCampbell, Retired, in 1982. McCampbell was a United States Navy captain, naval aviator, and a Medal of Honor recipient. He retired from the Navy in 1964 with 31 years of service. McCampbell is the United States Navy’s all-time leading flying ace (called Ace of the Aces in the Navy) and top F6F Hellcat ace with 34 aerial victories. He was the 3rd-highest American scoring ace of World War II and the highest-scoring American ace to survive the war. He also set a United States single mission aerial combat record of shooting down 9 enemy planes in 1 mission, on October 24, 1944, at the beginning of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, in the Philippines. He retired from the United States Navy in 1964 as a Captain. George D. Savage was born and grew up in West Philadelphia, the son of architect George E. Savage (February 28, 1874 – December 30, 1948). The younger Savage attended Franklin and Marshall College before joining his father’s practice. After the elder Savage’s death, the younger architect continued the work of the firm from an office in Narberth, Pennsylvania, specializing in Protestant ecclesiastical design until his retirement around 1970. There was no “Len” Ford listed on the USS Wasp (CV-7) crew roster. Homer Robinson Ford was listed as an Able Seaman enlisted on December 15, 1941. He trained at Great Lakes, Illinois, and transferred to USS Wasp (CV-7) on January 14, 1942. On April 30, 1942, he was promoted to Fire Controlman 3rd Class. After USS Wasp (CV-7) was sunk on September 15, 1942, Ford was transferred to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Receiving Station, where he was assigned to the new USS Wasp (CV-18) on December 8, 1942. Later, on April 18, 1944, he transferred on temporary duty to USS Monrovia (APA-31) for landing craft school as a Motorman Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class (Landing Craft). After the war, he worked for 3M. He enjoyed golf, alcohol, and day trading in retirement. Hawley “Monk” Russell joined the United States Naval Reserve in September 1935. Assigned to active duty in Squadron VO-4B in December 1936. He served with Fighter Squadron VF-71 on USS Wasp, he flew Carrier Air Patrol during the delivery of Royal Air Force Spitfires to Malta in May 1942. With Fighter Squadron VF-33 in the Solomons, he was wounded over Rabaul. He was an ace credited with 5 Japanese planes. Later he ran the Quonset Point Rhode Island naval base, and commanded the USS Cimarron (AO-22) and USS Tarawa (CV-40). He was in 1 of the 1st of the Navy’s jet fighter classes. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1909.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.45 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5760 x 4506 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | December 1, 1941 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | |
| Country | Atlantic Ocean |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-K-687 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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