U.S. Navy Chief Watertender Oscar Peterson of Prentice, Wisconsin, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on May 7, 1942 at the Battle of the Coral Sea. Already severely wounded, he persevered to close four scalding hot steam valves on the USS Neosho, saving the ship from destruction.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander William Edward Hall of Storrs, Utah, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary actions on May 7, 1942 in the Battle of the Coral Sea. He serving as a scout plane pilot with Lexingtons’s Scouting Squadron 2.
On May 7, over the Coral Sea, he participated in the attack on the Japanese carrier Shoho, gaining a share in its destruction. The next day, he attacked a section of Japanese torpedo bombers. After setting the lead plane on fire, he was jumped by several Zeros. Although his aircraft was damaged and he was seriously wounded, he managed to land safely.