USN carriers. His group engaged several Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters and he claimed one shot down, although no Zeros were actually lost in the engagement. After Coral Sea, he returned to the United States to form Fighting Squadron 10 (VF-10), flying F4F Wildcats. The squadron was nicknamed the "Grim Reapers," and as commanding officer Flatley became "Reaper Leader" on board . During the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October 1942, Flatley led several F4F Wildcat fighters to escort Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers from VT-10 in a strike on Japanese carriers. En route, the US and Japanese strike forces passed each other. Nine A6M Zeros from Zuihō led by Lieutenant Moriyasu Hidaka abandoned their escort duty and attacked the US strike. In the following fight, several TBF Avengers and F4F Wildcats were shot down, as well as several A6M Zeros. Flatley received one shared kill credit in this engagement. The strike force he was escorting could not locate the main IJN carrier force and instead attacked a cruiser. Flatley and his F4F Wildcats strafed it in order to support the torpedo planes, but all torpedoes missed the target. Later that day, his division of four F4F Wildcats encountered A6M Zeros from the carrier Jun'yō at higher altitude and deployed Thach Weave defensive tactics when they attacked. One of the attackers was Lieutenant Yoshio Shiga, who gave up after he made several runs. During the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 15 November 1942, Enterprise launched a strike force against the damaged battleship Hiei and Flatley's group of Wildcats provided escort. After returning to Enterprise, Flatley led a second strike force against IJN transports with reinforcement and supplies headed for Guadalcanal. His group then landed on Guadalcanal and performed another CAP before turning over their aircraft to Marines at Henderson Field. Following his tour as Commander Air Group Five (CAG-5) on board , during which he helped introduce the F6F Hellcat to combat in August 1943, Flatley at the age of 36 never flew combat again. He received a Navy Cross for Coral Sea; two Distinguished Flying Crosses for heroism, a Bronze Star for action with Japanese forces in the Philippine Islands, and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. Post war Flatley remained in the Navy after the war and became a key figure with the Navy's postwar air-training program. After commanding the escort aircraft carrier for a year, Flatley