His 26 victories made him the first American pilot to match Ace Eddie Rickenbacker’s record from WWI. His team, which was dubbed “Foss’ Flying Circus,” shot down 72 Japanese aircraft during that battle. In the battle of Guadalcanal, he shot down 26 enemy aircraft with his team of eight Wildcats. Marine Corps F-4F squadron.įoss eventually became famous for his close-up gunnery skills. He then joined Marine Fighter Squadron 121 (VMF-121), a U.S. There he logged more than 150 hours in two months. Foss continued to make numerous requests to join a fighter pilot qualification program before finally being assigned to a training squadron to learn to fly the F-4F Wildcat. Joseph Foss dreamed of being a fighter pilot, but at the age of 26, he was considered too old, so the Navy sent him to the School of Photography to become an aerial photographer.
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In the 1970s, the TV show “Black Sheep Squadron” was based on Boyington and his Black Sheep squadron. Pappy received the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross and a Purple Heart for his heroism during the war. He was captured by a Japanese submarine team and held as a Japanese prisoner-of-war for more than a year before being released in 1945, days after Japan's surrender. (His self-claimed victory count is 28.) He achieved his final kill in 1944, the same day that his aircraft was shot down in the Pacific. Pappy shot down 26 enemy fighter planes, tying Eddie Rickenbacker's WWI record of 26 victories. He served as the commanding officer of VMF-214, nicknamed the “Black Sheep.” At that point, he was 31, a decade older than most Marines, resulting in Boyington acquiring the monikers “Pappy” and "Gramps." He claimed six victories as a Flying Tiger before rejoining the Marines in September 1942. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington began his career as a Marine Corps officer, but he later resigned from the Marine Corps to serve with the legendary Flying Tigers, an American volunteer squadron that supported China in the Sino-Japanese War. Wars: Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II In recognition of his contributions and service, he was presented the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. He was an unstoppable force to be reckoned with, and was the highest-scoring American ace to survive the war. To add to his accomplishments, he shot down nine enemy aircraft in another mission, which was a new world record. He was the only American airman to achieve "ace in a day" twice, one time shooting down seven Japanese bombers in a single afternoon. McCampbell’s 34 aerial victories during his WWII missions made him the Navy's Ace of Aces. The group as a whole earned 318 victories in total. In the spring of 1944, McCampbell commanded Carrier Air Group 15, also known as the “Fabled Fifteen.” While in command of the “Fabled Fifteen,” McCampbell personally accrued 34 victories. After that, he joined Fighting Squadron 4 (VF-4), followed by a three-year tour as a landing service officer (LSO) aboard the USS Wasp.
Naval Academy and began his 31 years of service in 1934. David McCampbell, Navyĭavid McCampbell attended the U.S. 6, 1945, Bong’s P-80 malfunctioned right after takeoff during a routine exercise, and while he managed to eject, he died in the accident. During WWII, he was the recipient of various congratulatory gifts from military elite, including a case of Scotch from WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker, when he beat Rickenbacker’s record of 26 kills.īong received the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, seven Distinguished Flying Crosses and 15 Air Medals. However, at the end of World War II, Bong had achieved 40 confirmed kills, earning him the title "Ace of Aces." Bong admitted that his gunnery skills were poor, but he compensated by getting as close to his targets as possible, sometimes so close that he would fly through the debris of the enemy aircraft. Achieving five confirmed kills was a feat that earned a fighter pilot the title of ace. Richard Bong was one of the most decorated American fighter pilots of all time.
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