William Edward Hall
Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy
Medal of Honor Recipient
World War II

Lieutenant Commander William Edward Hall (31 October 1913 -15 November 1996) was a U.S. Naval Reserve officer and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War II.

William Edward Hall was born on 31 October 1913 in Storrs, UT. He joined the Navy from his birth state of Utah. On 7 May 1942, he was a Lieutenant, Junior Grade, serving as pilot of a scout plane over the Coral Sea, when he dive bombed a Japanese aircraft carrier, and contributed greatly to its destruction. The next day, he attacked a superior number of Japanese planes and shot down three. Although his plane was damaged and he was seriously wounded in this attack, he managed to land safely. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, Junior Grade, U.S. Naval Reserve.

Place and date: Coral Sea, 7 and 8 May 1942.

Citation: For extreme courage and conspicuous heroism in combat above and beyond the call of duty as pilot of a scouting plane in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Coral Sea on 7 and 8 May 1942. In a resolute and determined attack on 7 May, Lt. (j.g.) Hall dived his plane at an enemy Japanese aircraft carrier, contributing materially to the destruction of that vessel. On 8 May, facing heavy and fierce fighter opposition, he again displayed extraordinary skill as an airman and the aggressive spirit of a fighter in repeated and effectively executed counterattacks against a superior number of enemy planes in which 3 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Though seriously wounded in this engagement, Lt. (j.g.) Hall, maintaining the fearless and indomitable tactics pursued throughout these actions, succeeded in landing his plane safe.

Hall reached the rank of Lieutenant Commander before leaving the Navy.

Medals and Awards

Medal of Honor
Purple Heart

Death and Burial

Lieutenant Commander William Edward Hall died on 15 November 1996 at age 83. He is buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery in Fort Leavenworth, KS.