There are moments in American history when courage changes the fate of the world. On June 4, 1942, in the skies over the Pacific, six United States Navy aviators helped turn the Battle of Midway into one of the most decisive victories in American military history. Now, more than eight decades later, Congress has taken an important step toward giving these men the recognition they have long deserved.

An amendment to Rules Committee Print 119-33, offered by Congressman Jimmy Patronis of Florida, would authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to six heroes of the Battle of Midway: Commander Clarence W. McClusky, Lieutenant Commander Max F. Leslie, Lieutenant Commander Eugene E. Lindsey, Lieutenant Commander Lance E. Massey, Lieutenant Commander John C. Waldron, and Lieutenant Richard H. Best. The official amendment text states that these men acted with valor on June 4, 1942, during Navy combat operations near Midway Atoll that led to the sinking of four enemy aircraft carriers. (Amendments Rules)

This is a major step in the right direction.

The House Rules Committee page for H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, lists the Patronis amendment as Amendment 1111, Version 2, with the summary stating that it authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to six individuals who “at great risk to themselves and disregard for their own personal safety” attacked and helped sink enemy aircraft carriers at Midway. (Rules Committee)

That language recognizes what generations of Americans have known in their hearts: the Midway Six did not merely participate in a battle. They helped win a victory that changed the course of World War II.

Honoring the Men Who Helped Turn the Tide

The Battle of Midway was fought at a moment when America was still recovering from the shock of Pearl Harbor. Japan’s carrier force had dominated the Pacific, and the enemy intended to crush America’s remaining naval power. Instead, American intelligence, preparation, grit, and extraordinary battlefield courage produced a stunning victory.

The National WWII Museum describes Midway as a battle in which American torpedo bombers drew enemy fighters away, creating the opening for dive bombers from the USS Enterprise and USS Yorktown to devastate the Japanese carriers Kaga, Akagi, and Soryu, with Hiryu later struck and fatally damaged. The museum notes that all four Japanese carriers that had participated in the Pearl Harbor attack were lost at Midway, overturning Japan’s offensive in the Pacific and allowing the United States to begin offensive action. (National WWII Museum)

The Midway 6 stood at the center of that achievement.

McClusky’s leadership and decision-making helped bring American dive bombers to the enemy fleet at the decisive moment. Leslie led Yorktown’s dive bombers into the fight. Best personally played a central role in the attacks that crippled Japan’s carrier force. Waldron, Lindsey, and Massey led torpedo squadrons into nearly impossible conditions, pressing their attacks against overwhelming fighter opposition and anti-aircraft fire. Their courage helped pull Japanese defenders down to sea level and created the opening that American dive bombers used to strike from above.

The official Navy history hosted by the Naval History and Heritage Command describes Waldron’s Torpedo Squadron Eight as bravely pressing its attack against enemy fighters, with all planes shot down and only one survivor. It also describes Lindsey’s Torpedo Squadron Six and Massey’s Torpedo Squadron Three suffering devastating losses, followed by the arrival of McClusky’s and Leslie’s dive bombers high overhead at approximately 10:25 a.m., launching one of history’s most decisive attacks. (Ibiblio)

What Supporters Should Do Now

Every supporter should contact their member of Congress and ask them to support the Patronis amendment to H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. Tell them that the Midway 6 deserve the Medal of Honor. Tell them that Congress has an opportunity to correct an omission in the historical record. Tell them that America should never allow extraordinary valor to fade into paperwork, technicalities, or time limits.

Use this message:

Please support the Patronis amendment to H.R. 8800, the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act, authorizing the President to award the Medal of Honor to Commander Clarence W. McClusky, Lieutenant Commander Max F. Leslie, Lieutenant Commander Eugene E. Lindsey, Lieutenant Commander Lance E. Massey, Lieutenant Commander John C. Waldron, and Lieutenant Richard H. Best for their acts of valor at the Battle of Midway. These six Navy heroes helped turn the tide of World War II and deserve America’s highest military honor.

Supporters should also sign and share the petition here:

America Remembers Its Heroes

The story of the Midway 6 is a story of American courage at the highest level. It is a story of young men flying into overwhelming danger because the nation needed them. It is a story of leadership, sacrifice, and battlefield brilliance. It is a story of America refusing to surrender the Pacific to tyranny.

The Patronis amendment brings this cause one step closer to justice. It gives Congress a chance to act. It gives Americans a chance to speak. And it gives the Midway 6 the national attention they have deserved since June 4, 1942.

Now it is time to finish the mission.

Contact your member of Congress. Ask them to support the Patronis amendment. Sign the petition. Share the story. Honor the Midway Six.

A Step Forward, Not the Finish Line

The Patronis amendment is not the final award itself. It is an authorization. It clears a legislative path by allowing the President to award the Medal of Honor despite time limitations that would otherwise stand in the way. That distinction is important, because supporters must understand that this campaign is still active and still needs public pressure.

Congressman Patronis deserves recognition for putting this language forward. His official House biography identifies him as the Representative for Florida’s First Congressional District, covering Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties in Florida’s Western Panhandle, and shows his support for America’s veterans and active-duty service members. (Representative Jimmy Patronis)

Now the mission is simple: every supporter of the Midway 6 should make sure their own member of Congress knows about this amendment and supports it.

This is not a partisan request. This is an American request. The Medal of Honor exists to recognize gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. The Midway 6 met that standard in the skies over the Pacific, in a battle that helped secure the survival of freedom in the twentieth century.