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Last American WWII fighter ace dies at 103
Citat:Donald McPherson, believed to be America’s last surviving World War II fighter ace, died Aug. 14 at age 103, ending a direct link to the elite cadre of aviators who achieved air-to-air combat victories against Axis forces.
McPherson earned ace status by shooting down five enemy aircraft while serving as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex during combat operations against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater. Both the American Fighter Aces Association and the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum had recognized him as the last living American ace from the Second World War.
The designation of “ace” requires a pilot to destroy at least five enemy aircraft in aerial combat, a standard that has remained consistent across military aviation history. McPherson achieved this distinction while flying F6F Hellcat fighters as part of Navy fighter squadron VF-83 during the war’s final months.
McPherson enlisted in the Navy in 1942 at age 18, following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. After completing an 18-month flight training program, he married his wife Thelma in 1944 and deployed to the Pacific, where he served from March 1945 through September 1945. His service record included the Congressional Gold Medal and three Distinguished Flying Crosses.
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