Richard Halsey Best | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | Dick |
| Born | March 24, 1910 Bayonne, New Jersey, US |
| Died | October 28, 2001 (aged 91) Santa Monica, California, US |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1932–1944 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant commander |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Navy Cross Distinguished Flying Cross |
Richard Halsey Best (March 24, 1910 – October 28, 2001) was a dive bomber pilot and squadron commander in the United States Navy during World War II. Stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, Best led his dive bomber squadron at the 1942 Battle of Midway, sinking two Japanese aircraft carriers in one day, before being medically retired that same year due to damage to his lungs caused by breathing bad oxygen during the battle.