Wings of Valor ─ Honoring America's Fighter Aces

A hero’s action is always extraordinary because it is so contrary to the basic human instincts of self-preservation and survival. For the fighter ace, it is often “kill or be killed”. The men whose images and stories are told in Wings of Valor reflect the courage and determination it takes to get no less than five “kills” in aerial combat and return from each mission alive. They distinguished themselves as Navy, Marines, U.S. Army Air Corps, and Air Force pilots who had the courage to pursue their enemy with aggression, agility, and precision. To fly in combat is extremely dangerous. All fighter pilots, regardless of their personal victory tallies, are deserving of great respect and credit for what they endure.

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact qualities that separate a good fighter pilot from a great fighter pilot. However, they consist of an indomitable inner spirit, a fierce determination to survive and succeed, with a measure of opportunity and luck added to the mix. Wings of Valor immortalizes eighty-two men for their bravery during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Their images and stories, collected on these pages, are as diverse as America itself. Today, these men assert that they are proud Americans who are caretakers of freedom. They have been to the edge and have lived to tell their story.

At one time there were over 1,400 fighter aces. Because of the changing technology of war and the shifting nature of war itself, these men of Wings of Valor are considered the last of the traditional aces. This book honors the content of their character via formal photographs of these valiant men, the last of their breed.