06/05/2026
On May 21, 1942, Ensign Louis John Muery Jr. and his radioman-gunner, ARM3c Walter Max John Richter of Bombing Squadron Eight (VB-8), launched from USS Hornet (CV-8) on a scouting mission in their SBD Dauntless.
When engine trouble forced them to ditch in the Pacific, the two men climbed into a rubber raft with only limited food, water, and survival gear. For 23 days they paddled, sailed, and drifted across the open ocean, surviving on carefully rationed supplies and rainwater collected in a cloth sling from their first aid kit.
As they struggled to stay alive, history was unfolding around them. Unaware of the fate of their shipmates, Muery and Richter drifted at sea while the Battle of Midway raged hundreds of miles away. During those critical days in June 1942, USS Hornet and VB-8 helped achieve one of the most decisive victories of the Pacific War, while two of their own remained missing and alone in the vast ocean.
As they neared a small Pacific island, rescue finally seemed within reach. But fate had one final test. Their raft overturned in the violent surf surrounding a coral reef. Muery survived the ordeal, but Richter drowned just yards from shore.
Alone on the beach, Muery buried his shipmate with a paddle from their raft. When the tide later washed the body ashore, he buried him again. Islanders who had been watching from a distance eventually came to his aid, caring for the exhausted aviator and later honoring Richter by burying him among the most respected members of their community. Before Muery departed, they showed him a headstone they were carving for his fallen friend.
While Louis Muery returned home, Walter Max John Richter never did. Their story remains one of the most remarkable survival tales connected to USS Hornet and a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served in The Pacific War.
