He was killed in action at the Battle of Midway while flying a torpedo bomber during an attack against several Japanese aircraft carriers.
[1] He excelled at basketball in high school, and was part of a team that won a state championship in 1925.
[1] In 1942 Campbell underwent more flight training and was appointed Lieutenant, junior grade, on April 2, 1942.
He joined Torpedo Squadron 8 on board the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) just in time to take part in the Battle of Midway.
Flying obsolete Douglas TBD Devastators, all of Lieutenant Commander John C. Waldron's fifteen planes were shot down during their unescorted torpedo attack on Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carriers.
Only one member of VT-8 who flew from Hornet on that day survived in the action, Ensign George Gay.
[5] Piloting a Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bomber during the battle, Campbell took off with his squadron on June 4, 1942, to intercept the Japanese fleet, and without fighter cover attacked the enemy aircraft carriers against murderous opposition.
Knowing full well that they had insufficient fuel to return to Hornet, the Torpedo Squadron 8 crews pressed their attack gallantly until all were shot down.
[7] Highlighting the 30 men in the Aircraft Carrier Hornet's torpedo squadron, director John Ford did an 8 minute long short documentary filmed during the Battle of Midway.