America250: Navy Veteran Norman Kleiss

Born in 1916, Norman Kleiss grew up in the small town of Coffeyville, Kansas, near the border of Oklahoma. He joined the Kansas National Guard in 1931 and served in the 114th Cavalry Regiment before entering the United States Naval Academy in 1934, graduating in 1938. After assignments aboard several naval ships, Kleiss reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida for flight training in 1940 and completed it by the following year. Afterward, he served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise as a member of Scouting Squadron Six, where he served as a dive bomber flying a Douglas SBD Dauntless.

Kleiss was working out of Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. In response to the attack, he flew patrols but did not see any Japanese aircraft that day. Kleiss would not encounter any Japanese forces until February 1942 when he took part in raids that continued for several months against multiple Japanese strongholds. He went on to receive a Distinguished Flying Cross for actions during the attacks.

By the summer of 1942, the U.S. aircraft carriers that avoided destruction at Pearl Harbor would prove to be instrumental in helping the U.S. combat the Japanese in the Pacific Theater. By June 1942, the U.S. had already broken the Japanese naval code and discovered a Japanese fleet heading to Midway Atoll. U.S. Naval forces, including USS Enterprise and two additional aircraft carriers, went to Midway to meet the oncoming Japanese fleet.

When the attack started June 4, 1942, Kleiss played a pivotal role in the Battle of Midway. The Japanese attacks devastated U.S. torpedo bombers by the time Kleiss and the other dive bombers arrived. Their presence caught the enemy by surprise as their aircraft were being rearmed and refueled when Kleiss and other dive bombers attacked.

Tasked with destroying the enemy carrier Kaga, Kleiss flew up to 20,000 feet before making a descent towards the carrier. His first bombs destroyed several Japanese aircraft. His main bomb was a successful hit on the Kaga, breaking through several decks before detonating torpedoes that sent the ship into flames. Kleiss narrowly avoided crashing into the ocean just as the carrier was about to sink. Returning to USS Enterprise, Kleiss had lunch and a nap before returning to the air on another mission targeting the carrier Hiryū. Despite the attempts Hiryū made to avoid the attack, Kleiss succeeded in tracking the carrier. He released a bomb that hit the ship, contributing to its destruction.

In the Battle of Midway, the Japanese lost four carriers and thousands of men, including some of their most skilled pilots. The U.S. lost one carrier, USS Yorktown, and had 360 casualties. U.S. victory at Midway shattered Japanese naval dominance in the Pacific Theater, which ultimately led to the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II.

Kleiss received a Navy Cross for his contributions at Midway. He was one of the few pilots at Midway that hit the Japanese carriers multiple times with bombs. When asked about his contributions to the U.S. victory at Midway, Kleiss remarked, “I’m anything but a hero. I don’t hate the Japanese at all. I was only doing what at the time was the proper thing to do.”

Following World War II, Kleiss went on to have a decades-long career in the Navy. He retired in 1962 having earned the rank of captain. Kleiss was 100 years old when he passed away in 2016. He was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in Texas.

We honor his service.

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America250

VA is highlighting 250 Veterans leading up to July 4, 2026, which marks 250 years of independence. Learn more about the count down to 250 years of the American spirit at https://america250.org/.

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Contributors

Writer: Raymond Lin

Editors: Theresa Lyon and Nicolas Nunnally

Fact checker: Timothy Georgetti

Graphic designer: Kiki Kelley