 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.Flatley remained in the Navy after the war and became a key figure with the Navy's postwar air-training program.