Hi All:

It being Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S., I'd like to pose a question/poll, and perhaps learn something from others' informed opinions.

Who was the greatest U.S. fighter pilot ace?

Chuck Yaeger, for his eyesight, quick reflexes and breaking the sound barrier?

Richard Bong, the U.S. Ace of Aces?

Francis Gabreski, the highest scoring ace in the ETO and jet ace in Korea?

For my opinion, I'm going all the way back to 1918 and submitting Eddie Rickenbacker. He was "too old" at 26 to be a fighter pilot, he was originally an enlisted man (gasp), a sergeant chauferring officers around, and he had radical ideas, such as forming a squadron with race-car drivers because of their familiarity with the speed, quick reflexes and mechanical ability (wonder what would have happened with that one?). Then he went on to shoot down twenty-six German aircraft in less than nine months, despite being knocked out of the war for two months with a mastoid infection. Incredible that he came back from that one at all. And during WWII, every fighter pilot wanted to be the first one to beat Captain Eddie's record. And what a tough old bird to survive in a life raft for weeks in the Pacific after the B-17 he was on was forced to ditch.

I'm really looking forward to other opinions.

Thanks.

Best regards:
-Charlie

Charlie:

Great question, but you forgot one name I will throw out there in the mix.

Greg "Pappy" Boyington. Credited with 22 kills... OK know that I threw that one out there.

I would have to go with Chuck Yeager, but not only for the reasons you have mentioned. Mr Yeager has flown darn near every plane from the P-51 to the F-20 Tigershark and beyond.

Plus he was the type of pilot not just satisfied with how a plane flew. He wanted to know how it worked.

Paul

Charlie-- my vote is for Francis Gabreski, the highest scoring ace in the ETO and jet ace in Korea. Interesting man. He was the epitome of a fighter pilot. Quite the character.
DJ

My vote is for Major Richard "Dick" Ira Bong. 40 confirmed kills all in a P-38 in two tours in the Pacific.

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/wwii/mrib.htm

Also, this fine man was from Wisconsin.

Bob-- do you know why the Air Force never named an airfield after him?
DJ

I'll chime in with the answer, since I don't live too far from the area.

Bong Air Force Base was going to be a fighter-interceptor base in southeastern Wisconsin, just west of the present I-94 near Racine and Kenosha, set up to defend the Milwaukee/Chicago area against the Soviet bomber threat. When the guided missles became an active threat, the base was no longer deemed necessary and construction halted. The state acquired the land and turned it into a recreation area, with camping, some hunting, trails to run ATVs, places to watch birds. Generally a nice place.

-Charlie

Francis Gabreski gets my vote. He racked up kills in WW2 and came back for more in Korea, flying different a/c. It goes to show it's the pilot, not the a/c that dominates.

Not wanting to take away the modern aces, but I find it admirable if an ace scores his kill the old-fashioned way (using guns). That really is a true testament to their flying skill.

I can't vote for Chuck Yeager, partly because of my Dad's opinion, being in the USAF at the same time and at Edwards AFB at same time. He ws a good test pilot, but I can't see him being top fighter ace. He barely qualified as an ace and was shot down almost as many times!

Since no one else has mentioned him -

Joe Foss - USMC 20+ kills and a Medal of Honor winner.

Got to go with Ira! I love the P-38, and I love anyone who flew it! Thanks for your time.

Francis Gabreski was a great ace,
i had the honor of meeting him a few years ago he was a great guy.

I wonder how many Germans Gaby would have shot down if it wasn't for his super low strafing run where his Jug's props hit the ground and forced him to land and get captured! However, my vote goes for Bong. He was quite a hero, cool and deadly in the air. We must also pay homage to Tommy McGuire, 2 kills short of Bong's record when he was killed while duking it out with a Jap Oscar over Neros Island, west of Leyte on 01/07/45. God bless these brave men that have stayed for ever young.

I'll hang with Richard Ira Bong. He is our ace of aces with 40 and had he not kept being pulled out of combat to do bond tours probably would have seen the other side of 50. He too was a Medal of Honor winner as were Maguire and Boyington. He unfortunatly died in a test pilot crash otherwise he probably would have added to his legend in the Korean conflict

IIRC, Gabby was about to go home after he had gotten all of his flight time in, and he wanted to do one more mission and maybe get to thirty kills. He admitted in his book "Gabby: A Fighter Pilot's Story" that it was a mistake.

-Charlie