Navy Hellcat pilot
Posted on 08/24/2025 8:02:36 AM PDT by DFG
Donald McPherson, believed to be America’s last surviving “ace” from World War II, passed away on August 14, 2025. He was 103 years old.
McPherson earned the Congressional Gold Medal and three Distinguished Flying Crosses during his service as a US Navy pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex in the final battles of World War II.
McPherson enlisted on January 5, 1943, after the Navy waived a two-year college requirement for its aviation cadet training program. He earned his commission and wings at Corpus Christi, Texas, on August 12, 1944. He was assigned to fly a Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter and was a part of Fighter Squadron 83 when it was transferred to the USS Essex in March 1945, during the battle for Okinawa.
On his second evening aboard the Essex, McPherson recalled watching Japanese kamikaze bombers based on Kyushu in southern Japan attack the fleet. One bomber clipped the Essex’s radar tower before crashing into a nearby island. Another bomber seriously damaged the USS Hancock.
“This sure made us wonder what we had gotten ourselves in for,” McPherson recalled. 1
McPherson completed his first combat mission – a 300-mile flight to strike on an airfield at Nittigahara – on March 19, 1945. During the raid, his division, known as “Wonder-5” destroyed Mitsubishi G4M ‘Betty’ bombers on the ground. As he was pulling out from the attack, his plane’s engine stalled, and it was struck by anti-aircraft fire. McPherson was able to fly the plane back and successfully land on the USS Essex.
“Upon inspection of the damage to the airplane, we found that a 20mm cannon shell had penetrated the fuselage about a foot behind my back and severed one of the cables that controlled the tail surface,” he recalled.
Between March and June 1945, VF-83 flew 6,560 sorties from the Essex. McPherson’s group was credited with destroying 220 Japanese planes in the air and 72 on the ground. McPherson would become an ace after shooting down two Aichi D3A Val dive bombers near Kikai Shima off Okinawa on April 6, 1945. He would go on to destroy three Kawanishi E7k float biplanes, which were flying as kamikazes, on May 5, 1945.
McPherson was able to marry the "love of his life" Thelma Johnston, on August 17, 1944, after completing his training. After the war, he returned home to Adams, Nebraska, to work as a letter carrier. He is survived by his two daughters, a son, along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
McPherson was an active member of the Adams United Methodist Church, as well as the local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He also served as organizer, promoter, and coach for the Adams Summer Baseball and Softball leagues. The Associated Press reports that the community later named the ballfield McPherson Field in honor of him and his wife.
Navy Hellcat pilot
Nothing can top the opportunity those WW2 pilots got. A lot died but what an adventure they had.
Rest In Peace, Donald McPherson.
How much you want to bet McPherson as letter carrier wasn’t stealing US Treasury checks from the mail, or Grandma’s annual red envelope Christmas cards to all her grandchildren with a $50 bill inside.
Hand salute.
Rest in peace, sir.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_aces_from_the_United_States
A very long list. And because they needed to have shot down three enemy aircraft (minimum) to become an ace, it shows the scale of the air war.
I am very happy to read this ace pilot lived to age 103. That was the same age my mother lived to in relatively good health. She was very weak physically after age 99. I am trying very hard to make it to 103 but only if I can stay active till the end. Don’t want to live bedridden.
5 is the minimum to be an ace.
Eddie Rickenbacker was the top US ace in WW1 with 26.
Richard Bong was the top US ace in WW2 with 40.
Joseph McConnell was the top US ace in the Korean War with 16.
Charles DeBellevue was the top US ace in the Vietnam War with 6.
bookmark
Served Well ACE!
Salute.
.
Fascinating Count Down FRiend.
6560 Sorties in 4 months? That’s 54.67 sorties a day. I suspect this is not correct information.
“A lot died but what an adventure they had.“
And then he came home to be a letter carrier. He’d perhaps had had enough adrenaline rushes to last his life time. I wonder if he ever flew again as a civilian? Many such pilots never went near a cockpit again in civilian life.
6560 is the number of sorties by VF-83 in that 4 month period. Don’t know how many planes or pilots in VF-83 at that time. They were flying multiple sorties per day.
Also flight journal magazine article called Wingman to the Aces, by John Dejanovich in 2012 Flight journal magazine
A man with honor gave it his all R.I.P. .
Do you have any evidence at all that Donald McPherson was a thief? If not, your insinuation is completely contemptible.
Five enemy aircraft shot down.
Sortie is one aircraft launched one time. 55/day is very busy, but this was a very busy time for US Naval Aviation.
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