Wallace Willam Flood,and his twin brother Walter Paul were born in Framingham on 01 January 1920. Their parents were John and Catherine Flood. The Flood’s lived on South Street. Between 1912 and 1922, Mrs. Flood gave birth to eight boys. Amazingly, all eight would serve in the military during WWII (four Navy, four Army) and all eight would survive.
On 10 August 1940, Wallace enlisted in the Navy. Prior to joining the service, he was a Dennison Manufacturing Company machinist. He attended “boot camp” in Newport, Rhode Island then made his way to Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Virginia (VA). Wallace would eventually be assigned to the aircraft carrier USS HORNET (CV-8). HORNET was built in the Newport News, VA. The ship was commissioned in October of 1941. She had a crew of 2,200 men and would normally embark around 87 aircraft. The HORNET was the third and final YORKTOWN class carrier to be built. The USS YORKTOWN (CV-5) and USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) were her “sister ships.”
USS Hornet off Hampton Roads, VA (October 1941)
Image: Public Domain
Wallace was trained as a Shipfitter (SF). According to the May 1943 Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin (NAVPERS--15004), a Shipfitter ...
The HORNET transferred to the Pacific Fleet in early 1942. On 01 April, the ship departed San Francisco en route to a rendezvous with the ENTERPRISE (CV-6). Their ultimate destination was an aircraft launching point off the coast of Japan. On this trip, HORNET did not just carry her normal Navy Aviation compliment. The carrier also craned on board 16 US Army Air Forces (USAAF) B-25 Mitchell medium bombers along with 134 USAAF pilots and crew. The Army team was led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle.
The original plan was to secretly launch the planes 500 miles off the Japanese coast. They were to land in China after the bombing raid. On 18 April 1942, however, the US Navy units were sighted by a Japanese ship approximately 650 miles off Japan. Considering this unanticipated development, the operation began a day early and 150 miles further away than intended. Despite this setback, the B-25s were able to hit five major areas in Japan, including Tokyo. Even with numerous crash landings and crew bailouts, primarily due to fuel exhaustion, 71 of the 80 Army crewmen survived the mission. Eight were captured by the Japanese. Of the eight, two were executed, and five remained Prisoners of War (POW). One POW died in captivity.
Image: US Naval History and Heritage Command
While bomb damage from the B-25s was minimal, the morale boost for the American public and the armed forces was tremendous. Until that point, good news was very hard to come by. The raid also highlighted the vulnerability of the Japanese air defense system. Jimmy Doolittle was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery. He would finish the war as a Lieutenant General. In his “History of US Naval Operations in World War II,” Samuel Eliott Morrison quotes Navy Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey who stated,“In my opinion, their flight was one of the most courageous deeds in all military history.”
Here, Wallace Flood had a front seat view of an iconic historical event. He would later discuss his observations with Raymond Callahan of the Framingham Historical Society telling him of "the excitement aboard HORNET when Doolittle and his men prepared to take off." Raymond memorialized the discussion in his February 1944 lecture “Framingham Men in Action -- WWII.” But,for Wallace,there was more to come.
B-25's Prepare to Take Off from the HORNET -- 18 April 1942
Made It!
Images: US Naval History and Heritage Command
On 15 September 1942, the HORNET and the USS WASP (CV-7) were in the vicinity of Guadalcanal providing air support to US forces on the island and protecting an en route troopship convoy packed with important reinforcements. On that day, the WASP was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine (I-19). The HORNET was approximately five miles away when the torpedoes impacted WASP. Of the 2,247 men on board, 193 were killed and 366 were wounded. The burning hulk was eventually sunk by US torpedoes. Given the proximity of the two ships,it is highly likely Wallace witnessed this tragic event. Fortunately, the troop transports landed safely and the US would eventually capture the strategically important island.
Sinking of the USS WASP (CV-7) -- 15 September 1942
Image: US Naval History and Heritage Command
The next major stop on the HORNET’s hit parade was the Battle of Midway (04 to 07 June 1942). As we discussed in the post on Framingham's John F. Gregal (https://storiesyet2btold.blogspot.com/2025/08/john-f-gregal-pearl-harbor-survivor.html), the US victory in this iconic battle was instrumental in stemming the tide in the Pacific. The Japanese lost approximately 3,000 men, four carriers, one cruiser, and hundreds of aircraft (and their experienced pilots), while the US lost approximately 360 men, one carrier, one destroyer, and 144 aircraft. (Source: National WWII Museum). The HORNET, and its crew were deeply engaged in the action.
October of 1942 would find HORNET operating with the ENTERPRISE back in the vicinity of Guadalcanal. On the 26th, the Japanese again tried to drive the US troops from the island. The associated naval action would become known as the Battle of Santa Cruz Island. This engagement would have a significant impact on Wallace. During this battle, two Japanese aircraft carriers were heavily damaged. Unfortunately, the HORNET fell victim to highly accurate and lethal Japanese dive-bombing and aircraft torpedo attacks. The extensive damage caused the captain to order the crew to abandon ship. As Wallace later relayed to Raymond Callahan, he went over the side and swam for around half an hour in shark infested waters before being rescued. Not a pleasant experience. One hundred and forty (140) of his shipmates were killed that day.
HORNET Under Attack During the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
Image: US Naval History and Heritage Command
The next morning, HORNET sank due to the aggregate damage from three aerial torpedoes, seven bombs, two crashed Japanese aircraft, nine US torpedoes, hundreds of US 5-inch gun rounds, and, finally, four torpedoes from Japanese destroyers. (Source: US Naval History and Heritage Command).
HORNET Sinking
Image: US National Archives
HORNET Crew Abandoning Ship
Image: Naval History and Heritage Command
Of note, in late January 2019, the Research Vessel (R/V) PETREL found the remains of HORNET in the South Pacific near the Solomon Islands. The ship was found in 17,700 feet of water.
HORNET Anti-Aircraft gun position as found by R/V PETREL in 2019
Image: Paul G. Allen
For the remainder of 1942 and most of 1943, Wallace would continue his war-service on the USS ENTERPRISE as a Shipfitter Third Class (SF 3/C).
USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6)
Image: US National Archives
ENTERPRISE had a busy 1942 and 1943. While we don’t know the exact date Wallace was transferred off the ship, we do know he was back on the US west coast in mid-March of 1944. Based on this,it is likely he witnessed the US amphibious operation against the Japanese controlled island of Tarawa in November of 1943. This invasion was costly. Approximately 1,000 American sailors and Marines were killed and more than 2,000 wounded. Most of the Japanese garrison was killed – 2,500 men. (Source: National WWII Museum). Amazingly, the total land area of the island is 12 square miles, which is smaller than the City of Framingham at 25 square miles.
Wallace’s 1944 and 1945 duty stations included San Francisco, and Long Beach, California along with Astoria, Oregon. He re-enlisted in January of 1945 while in Astoria. He was discharged from the Navy in 1946 as a Shipfitter Second Class (SF 2/c). After the war, he returned to his position at Dennison. He married his wife Alice (1922-2007) in 1948. They lived on Bare Hill Road. Wallace passed away on 25 May 1979 at the age of 59. His final resting place is at Edgell Grove Cemetery.
Watch
This video includes amazing footage of the Doolittle Raid, the Battle of Midway and the HORNETs sinking at Santa Cruz Island. It is 16 minutes long, but is well worth the watch.
Sources
The Framingham History Center
Framingham:Historical Reflections, edited by Martha E. Dewar and M. Joan Gilbert
Guadalcanal:The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle, Richard B. Frank
Framingham - An American Town, Stephan W. Herring
The Battle of Midway:The Naval Institute’s Guide to the U.S. Navy’s Greatest Victory, Edited by Thomas C. Hone
The Fleet at Flood Tide:America at Total War in the Pacific 1944-1945, James D. Hornfischer
The Library of Congress
Neptune’s Inferno:The US Navy at Guadalcanal, James D. Hornfischer
History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volumes III, IV and V, Samuel Eliot Morison
US National Archives
US National WWII Museum
US Navy History and Heritage Command
USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum
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