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“Randy” Cunningham (right) and William P. Driscoll (left) in the cockpit of a McDonnell F-4J Phantom II of Fighter Squadron 96 (VF-96), May 1972. (Photo San Diego Air & Space Museum archives)

Randy “Duke” Cunningham, former U.S. Navy fighter pilot and Vietnam War ace, passed away on August 27, 2025, at the age of 83. He was one of the most recognized American aviators of the conflict, credited with five aerial victories that made him the first U.S. Navy ace of the Vietnam War.

Born on December 8, 1941, in Los Angeles, California, Cunningham entered naval aviation in the 1960s and was eventually assigned to fighter squadron VF-96 “Fighting Falcons” aboard the aircraft carrier USS Constellation. Flying the McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II with his radar intercept officer (RIO), Lieutenant (jg) William P. “Irish” Driscoll, Cunningham quickly proved his skill in combat.

Cunningham and Driscoll scored their first victory on January 19, 1972, when they shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-21 over Laos. This was followed by a second victory against a MiG-17 on May 8, 1972.

On May 10, 1972, one of the most dramatic aerial combats of the war took place. In the course of two missions that day, Cunningham and Driscoll downed three enemy fighters — a MiG-17 in the morning, and later two more MiG-17s during a fierce dogfight over Hanoi.

Cunningham and Driscoll flew this F-4J Phantom II of VF-96, radio callsign “Showtime 100” to score three aerial victories. (Photo US Navy)

These actions brought Cunningham’s total to five confirmed victories, making him and Driscoll the first U.S. Navy aces of the Vietnam War and the only naval aces of that conflict. They were forced to eject later that day after their Phantom was struck by a surface-to-air missile during the return from the second mission. Rescued at sea, both men survived.

For his valor, Cunningham was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Purple Heart. Following his combat tour, he became a Top Gun instructor, passing on his experience to a new generation of navy fighter pilots. His wartime record, and particularly his May 1972 missions, made him one of the most publicized American pilots of the era.

After his retirement from the navy, Cunningham was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990, representing California’s 50th district. His political career ended in 2005 when he resigned after pleading guilty to corruption charges, for which he served more than seven years in prison.

Despite the controversies that marked his later life, Cunningham will be remembered within aviation history circles as a skilled combat pilot and one of the few American jet aces.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of Randy “Duke” Cunningham.

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Don McPherson in the cockpit of an F6F Hellcat. (Photo US Navy)

A chapter in aviation history was closed on August 14, 2025, when Donald Melvin McPherson passed away at the age of 103. Don McPherson, the last living American ace of World War II, leaves behind not just a legacy of aerial valor but also one of faith, humility, and heartfelt community dedication.

Born on May 25, 1922, in Adams, Nebraska, Donald “Don” McPherson joined the U.S. Navy in early 1943 through the V‑5 Aviation Cadet Program. He earned his wings by August 12, 1944, embarking soon after on a tour of duty aboard the USS Essex as part of Fighter Squadron VF‑83, piloting the famed Grumman F6F Hellcat.

By April 6, 1945, amid the chaos of the Battle of Okinawa, McPherson downed two Aichi D3A “Val” dive bombers. A month later, on May 4, he shot down three Yokosuka K5Y “Willow” floatplanes, thus acquiring the coveted title of ace.

He was decorated with three Distinguished Flying Crosses and four Air Medals, and later received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015.

Despite his wartime achievements, McPherson’s greatest wish was to be remembered not for his medals but as a man of faith. His daughter, Beth Delabar, emphasized that faith, family, and community marked the true pillars of his life.

After the war, back in Adams, Nebraska, he devoted himself to the local community. McPherson served as a rural mail carrier, farmer, Scoutmaster, youth baseball and softball coach, and leader in the United Methodist Church, the American Legion, and the VFW. In honor of his and his wife’s commitment, the town named its ballfield McPherson Field after them.

At the time of his death, on August 14, 2025, McPherson was recognized by both the American Fighter Aces Association and the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum as the final surviving American ace of World War II.

His funeral on August 19 featured full military honors and a flyover, held shortly after a tribute at the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum’s “Victory at Sea” event.

We would like to express our condolences and deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Don McPherson.

Sources :

• America’s last living ace pilot from World War II dies at age 103 | ABC News

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Richard Bong seen with his P-38 decorated with a photo of his girlfriend Marjorie Vattendahl (photo source: Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center)

On May 23, the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center and Justin Taylan of Pacific Wrecks announced that the wreckage of Richard Bong’s P-38, nicknamed “Marge,” had been discovered in Papua New Guinea.

This discovery is the result of an expedition in Papua New Guinea that began on May 1st.

Mission Marge 30 second Youtube 4

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At the press conference, Briana Fiandt, the curator of collections and exhibits at the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center, explained the importance of the discovery of this plane, one of the most emblematic of World War II.

The wreckage of the P-38 was formally authenticated by the last three digits of its serial number, still visible on a piece of the plane’s wreckage.

Surprisingly, this fragment, found on the right wing of the plane, still bore some of the original red paint dating back over 80 years.

The P-38 “Marge” was named after Bong’s girlfriend, Marjorie Vattendahl, and was decorated with her portrait.

The plane was lost in 1944 with Lieutenant Tom Malone at the controls during a weather reconnaissance mission. Malone had to bail out due to a faulty engine.

The location of the P-38’s wreck remained a mystery for eight decades until its discovery during the “Mission: Marge” expedition.

Richard Bong flew this P-38 in combat and became America’s ace of aces with 40 aerial victories against Japanese aircraft.

Sadly, he died in California during a test flight of a Lockheed P-80 on August 6, 1945.

Source: Richard Bong’s P-38 fighter plane, ‘Marge,’ discovered in Papua New Guinea.

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Bud Anderson and the Mustang “Old Crow” (Photo Roger Freeman Collection via American Air Museum in Britain)

The famous American pilot and ace, Clarence Emil “Bud” Anderson, passed away on Friday, May 17th. He was 102 years old.

Born on January 13, 1922, in Oakland, United States, “Bud” Anderson served as a fighter pilot during World War II with the 357th Fighter Group and ended the war with a total of 16.25 victories obtained over the course of 116 combat missions, fought at the commands of his P-51D Mustang ‘Old Crow’.

Becoming a test pilot postwar, he was successively stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB and Edwards AFB before finishing his professional career at McDonnell Douglas.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and loved ones of Clarence Emil “Bud” Anderson.

Continue reading]]> The commandant Jean Sauvage, who fought with the famous Normandie-Niémen fighter group on the Eastern Front, recently passed away aged 97.

Flying Morane-Saulnier MS. 406 fighters with GC III/3 during the Battle of France, he was credited with three shared aerial victories. He was sent to North Africa after the armistice and joined the Allied forces after the North Afircan landings in late 1942. He was credited with another shared victory during this period.

He volunteered for the “Normandie” fighter group, which he rejoined in January 1944. On October 27, 1944, he was credited with his only Easter Front victory when he shot down a Focke-Wulf Fw 190, making him an ace. (French standards for ‘acedom’ included shared victories).

He left the air force shortly after the war and became a captain with Air France.

Continue reading]]> Major James Goodson, one of the top aces of the US 4th Fighter Group in World War II, passed away on May 1, aged 93. After the war, Major Goodson went on to a successful post-war business career.

Goodson joined the war in 1939, at the age of 18, when he went to the United Kingdom aboard the USS Athenia, an unarmed passenger ship that was sunk off the coast of Ireland by a German submarine only three days into the war. He joined the RAF’s Eagle Squadrons and flew Hurricanes and Spitfires. When the Eagle Squadrons returned under American command and became the 4th Fighter Group, he stayed and flew P-47s and P-51s under the leadership of Don Blakeslee.

Before he was shot down and made a POW in June 1944, Goodson was credited with destroying 30 enemy aircraft and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Silver Star, three Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and other medals.

Source

Continue reading]]> Born in 1918, Miroslav Standera flew against the Nazis with the French air force in 1940, and was seriously injured during a dogfight. After France’s fall, he joined the Royal Air Force and flew with No 312 Squadron during the Battle of Britain before moving on to twin-engine fighter-bombers making night-time raids over France and Germany.

After the 1948 Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia, Standera fled again to Britain to escape persecution of those who had served in Western forces during the war. He rejoined the RAF and retired in 1955. Following his military career, he worked as a silversmith in Britain, then in 1983 resettled in Bavaria in Germany. He returned to his homeland in 1994.

Standera passed away on February 19, aged 95.

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Photo USAF

Col. Robert J. “Shorty” Rankin, a World War II fighter ace of the 56th Fighter Group, passed away on March 14, 2013 in his winter home in Florida, aged 94. He was credited with 10 confirmed, 1 probable victories and 2 damaged e/a, and was the first P-47 Thunderbolt to achieve “ace-in-a-day” status by destroying 5 e/a in one day.

The following bio is from the Luke AFB website:

Robert James Rankin was born on 23 October 1918 in Washington, D. C. Joining the Army Air Corps on 6 March 1941, he served in the enlisted ranks until he became an aviation cadet on 15 July 1942. Graduation from pilot training at Luke Field, Arizona on 11 April 1943, he checked out in the P-47 Thunderbolt at Tallahassee, Fla. In August he was sent to England and assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, based at Halesworth. 

Lt. Rankin scored his first victory on 6 Feb 1944, when he shot down a Me-109 over Paris, France. On 15 March he destroyed two Me-109s, was credited with a ‘probable” and damaged a FW-190 on a mission deep into Germany, and on 29 March downed an Me-109 northeast of Neinburg. 

Rankin’s record day came on 12 May 1944, flying in bomber formation to deceive the enemy into mistaking them for the bomber force, at a predetermined point the 56th fanned out into flights of four to encounter enemy fighters forming up to intercept the “bombers.” Rankin led his flight to an attack on 25 plus Me-109s, claiming two kills. A short time later, he and his wingman joined with the Group Commander who was circling with 50 plus enemy fighters. Providing cover for the Group Commander, Rankin destroyed three Me-109s. He became the European Theater of Operations first P-47 pilot to score five victories on one mission. 

Rankin returned to combat during the Korean War, serving as director of operations for the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. During the next 11 years, he commanded six fighter-Interceptor squadrons. Promoted to Colonel on 9 November 1963, he retired as Vice-Commander of the 20th Air Division on 1 April 1973.

Continue reading]]> Kenneth Allen Jernstedt, who flew with the legendary Flying Tigers, died on February 5 aged 95. Born in 1917, Jernstedt flew with the US Marine Corps before joining the American Volunteer Group in 1941 to fight the Japanese in China. By the time he left the AVG in 1942, he was credited with three confirmed aerial victoires, two probables and destroyed 6 aircraft on the ground.

After the war, Ken Jerstedt settled in Hood River, Oregon, where the local airfield was renamed after him. He was the mayor of Hood River for several years and was always involved in the local political scene.

Source:

• Hood River News