[snippy_about_it]

Vraciu -

As soon as I saw his picture and caption in the opening I wanted to know more about him. Thanks SAM.


Commander Alex Vraciu, USN (Ret.) is best known for his involvement in the now famed June 1944 Marianas Turkey Shoot in which U.S. Navy fighter pilots and anti-aircraft guns accounted for the destruction of 402 Japanese planes during the battle for the Marianas Islands. Then Lieutenant Vraciu shot down six Japanese aircraft in less than eight minutes. One aircraft was destroyed as it tried to crash into an American destroyer. In all, Commander Vraciu's squadron accounted for 41 of the 402 aircraft destroyed during the battle. Later in the war, Commander Vraciu was shot down and joined a band of guerrilla fighters in Luzon. Under his leadership, they helped the invasion troops led by General MacArthur successfully retake this portion of the Philippine Islands. Commander Vraciu described the intense battle for supremacy in the sky and explained how the U.S. forces in the South Pacific achieved dominance in the air.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the followup bio on Commander Alex Vraciu.