American Fighter Aces Association is a non-profit organization which recognizes the 1,450 combat American pilots (referred to as Aces) who have had five or more aerial victories in combat. [1] [2] The AFAA is located in Seattle's Museum of Flight. The exhibit houses documents, artifacts and histories of the Aces. [3] [4]
The American Fighter Aces Association was founded in 1960 to honor the 1,450 American "Ace" pilots. [2] On September 23, 1960, The AFAA held its first reunion in San Francisco, Calif. [1] To be a member honored by the association a pilot needs to have shot down at least five enemy aircraft in combat. [3]
The mission of the organization is to Preserve the records of American combat fighter Aces. Part of the mission is also to educate future generations. The AFAA also awards scholarships each year. [2]
Many of the Association's presidents have usually been aces. The organizations members are dying. In 2014 Lt. Gen. Charles "Chick" Cleveland served as president. [5] [6] Clayton Kelly Gross served as president in 2016 [7] Rear Admiral Edward Feightner also served the AFAA as president. [8]
| Name | Organisation | Aerial victories |
|---|---|---|
| Brig. Gen. Bud Anderson | USAF | 16.25 |
| Col. Perry J. Dahl | USAF | 9 |
| Lt. Gen. Sanford K. Moats | USAF | 8.5 |
| Col. Richard G. Candelaria | USAF | 6 |
| Name | Organisation | Aerial victories |
|---|---|---|
| Col. Charles B. DeBellevue | USAF | 6 |
| Brig. Gen. Richard Stephen Ritchie | USAF | 5 |
| Lt. Col. Jeffrey Feinstein | USAF | 5 |
| CDR. Duke Cunningham | USN | 5 |
| CDR. William P. Driscoll | USN | 5 |
The American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to every American Fighter Ace, on May 23, 2014, by the 113th Congress. [9] President and CEO of the AFAA attended a White House ceremony with President Barack Obama to sign the bill into law. [10]
The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The medal was established on July 2, 1926, and is currently awarded to any persons who, after April 6, 1917, distinguish themselves by single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. Both heroism and extraordinary achievement are entirely distinctive, involving operations that are not routine. The medal may be awarded to friendly foreign military members in ranks equivalent to U.S. Pay Grade of O-6 and below, in actual combat in support operations.
Clarence Emil "Bud" Anderson is a retired officer in the United States Air Force, a triple ace of World War II, and the highest scoring living American fighter ace. During the war he was the highest scoring flying ace in his P-51 Mustang squadron. Towards the end of Anderson's two combat tours in Europe in 1944 he was promoted to major at 22, a young age even for a highly effective officer in wartime. After the war Anderson became a well regarded fighter test pilot, and a fighter squadron and wing commander. He served his wing commander tour in combat in the Vietnam War. He retired as a full colonel in 1972, after which he worked in flight test management for McDonnell Douglas. A member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, Anderson has remained a sought-after speaker at aviation and military events well into his 90s.
Spann Watson was an American military aviator and civil servant who served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. He flew over 30 missions in North Africa, Italy and Southern Europe. On March 2007, Watson attended a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol rotunda, where he and other surviving veterans of the Tuskegee Airmen were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service. He died on April 15, 2010, aged 93.
Rear Admiral Edward Lewis Feightner was a United States Navy officer who fought in a number of significant battles in the World War II Pacific Theater of Operations. During two combat tours, he shot down nine enemy aircraft to become a flying ace.
Charles Goold Cleveland was an American Air Force lieutenant general and flying ace who was commander of the Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He was the longest lived American fighter ace of the Korean War. After the death of Wang Hai in August 2020, he was the last living flying ace from the Korean war. He was the recipient of the Silver Star, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Louis Rayfield Purnell, Sr. was a noted curator at the United States' National Air and Space Museum and earlier in life, a decorated Tuskegee Airman. At the museum, he became expert in space flight artifacts, particularly spacesuits, and was instrumental in curating artifacts related to space exploration, during the pivotal years of the 1960s and into the 1980s. Purnell was the first African-American to become a curator at the Smithsonian Institution.
Frederick Rounsville "Fritz" Payne Jr. was a World War II Ace and a brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps. Payne was awarded the Navy Cross for service with VMF-212.
Henry "Hank" Buttelmann was a fighter pilot of the United States Air Force in the Korean War and Vietnam War. He achieved seven victories over enemy aircraft in Korea, making him a flying ace. He gained his fifth kill on June 30, 1953, just after his 24th birthday, which made him the youngest ace of the war.
Commander Hamilton McWhorter III was a United States Navy aviator and a flying ace of World War II, credited with shooting down twelve Japanese aircraft. He was the first Hellcat ace, first USN carrier-based double ace, and the first Grumman F6F Hellcat pilot to achieve double ace status. He flew 89 combat missions during World War II while flying with the VF-9 and VF-12 units. On May 23, 2014, he was also posthumously awarded the American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal, when the United States Congress collectively awarded the gold medal to all flying aces: a navy pilot is depicted on the medal in the upper right.
Dean Samuel "Diz" Laird was the only U.S. Navy ace to have combat victories in both the Pacific and European theaters of World War II. He served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and is given credit for 5.75 aerial victories. Laird flew 138 fighter missions during World War II. and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Congressional Gold Medal, among other honors.
Clayton Kelly Gross from Walla Walla, Washington was a Army Air Forces World War II Ace who shot down 6 enemy planes over Europe. Gross also flew planes in the D-Day invasion of Normany, France both on June 5 and 6, 1944. He was a recipient of the American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Silver Star. He flew in 105 combat missions during WWII.
Cecil Glen Foster was a veteran of the Korean War and the 23rd United States Ace: he shot down 9 Mig-15s. He was a recipient of the American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Silver Stars and a Purple Heart. During the Korean War Foster flew 200 combat sorties. He was also commanded the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron during the Vietnam War.
James Henry Harvey III is a retired United States Army Air Corps/United States Air Force (USAF) officer and former African American fighter pilot who served with 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen, "Red Tails", or among enemy German pilots, Schwartze Vogelmenschen. He is one of the 1,007 documented Tuskegee Airmen pilots.
CptJames Francis Rigg from Saginaw, Michigan was a World War II Double Ace pilot who shot down eleven Japanese aircraft in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, including a Japanese Ace.
MajErnest Shipman U.S. Army Air Force from Saginaw, Michigan was an American World War II Ace pilot who shot down seven aircraft in the Mediterranean theatre of World War II.
MajFletcher Eugene Adams was a U.S. Army Air Forces World War II flying ace who shot down nine enemy aircraft in the European theatre of World War II. Adams was murdered after being shot down.
Ernest Charles Fiebelkorn was a United States Army Air Force fighter ace who was credited with shooting down 9 aircraft during World War II, making him the highest scoring fighter ace of the 20th Fighter Group. He was killed in action in 1950, during the Korean War.
MjrFrank Bernard Baldwin from Pittsburg, Michigan was a United States Marine Corps World War II Ace pilot who shot down 10 enemy aircraft in combat. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Norman E. Olson was a U.S. Army Air Forces World War II flying ace. He shot down seven enemy aircraft in the European theatre of World War II. Olson died in aerial combat on April 8, 1944. He was the first Ace pilot of the 355th Fighter Group.
Clinton DeWitt Burdick was an American flying ace in the 356th Fighter Group during World War II. He was the son of American World War I flying ace Howard Burdick, who was credited with eight aerial victories.
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