Free Republic

Royce Williams was a real-life "Top Gun" 10 years before Tom Cruise was even born. On a cold November day in 1952, Williams shot down four Soviet fighter jets -- and became a legend no one would hear about for more than 50 years. The now 97-year-old former naval aviator was presented with the Navy Cross, the service's second-highest military honor at a ceremony Friday in California. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said on Friday that among the many proposals he has reviewed to upgrade sailors' awards, Williams' case "stood out above all others. It was very clear to me...

Williams single-handedly shot down four Russian fighters, a record-breaking feat never recognized or even known until recentlyRetired U.S. Navy Cpt. E. Royce Williams will never forget November 18, 1952. “Here came four of them from the front side all firing and the others were coming around from the other side…We came in head on,” Williams remembered. “I saw bullets go over me and under me then over me… So the fight went on and on and on.” Williams, who fought in the Korean War, single-handedly shot down four Russian fighters – a record-breaking feat never recognized or even known until...

The American F-86 Sabres stopped the MiG-15s—and their Russian pilots—at the Yalu. In August 1950, a Soviet air division with 122 MiG-15 jet fighters arrived in northeastern China and set up headquarters at Antung on the Yalu River, the dividing line between Chinese Manchuria and North Korea. On Oct. 18, an American RB-29 reconnaissance aircraft spotted 75 fighters on the ramp at Antung, but that did not raise much alarm for Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s United Nations Command or the US Far East Air Forces. Nor was there any great concern on Nov. 1 when a flight of F-51 Mustangs was...

The family of Lt. Col. Bruce Hinton, the first F-86 pilot to score a MiG-15 kill during the Korean War, donated several items to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. On Dec. 17, 1950, Hinton, who was commander of the 336th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing, led a flight of four F-86s over northwestern North Korea. To trick the communists, the Sabre pilots flew at the same altitude and speed as F-80s typically did on missions, and they used F-80 call signs. Hinton spotted four MiGs at a lower altitude, and he led his flight in...

UPDATE: Father of man in Bonaire murder-suicide defected with MiG in Korean War By Gene Rector - grector@macon.com September 21 was already a monumental day in the life of Ken Rowe. The first one, in 1953, was a happy - even glorious - occasion. The second is devastating. Fifty-five years ago, Rowe - then known as North Korean Lt. No Kum-Sok - flew a Russian-made MIG 15 to Kimpo Air Base in South Korea, defecting from his Communist homeland and delivering a treasure trove of intelligence data to the U.S. and its allies. Just three days ago, also on Sept...

The Korean War has been called “the forgotten war,” and “Missing in MIG Alley,” on PBS on Tuesday night, illustrates a little-known chapter. It describes the rivalry in the sky between two types of fighter jets then on the cutting edge of military aviation: the Soviet MIG-15, used by the North Koreans, and the F-86 Sabre, flown by the Americans and the British. -snip- The program, an installment of the “Nova” series, reveals that Soviet airmen were actually fighting on behalf of the North Koreans, a fact concealed by the Soviet and American governments at the time for fear of...

The Kremlin has vetoed a move to launch a fresh investigation into the death of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, despite aviation specialists' belief that they have unravelled one of the 20th century's greatest enigmas. The rebuff comes as Russians celebrate Cosmonauts' Day today, the anniversary of Gagarin's historic flight around the Earth on 12 April 1961. That foray, which lasted just 68 minutes, was a milestone in the space race between the Soviet Union and the US. But Gagarin was destined to a short, controversial life. On 27 March 1968, Gagarin died in a mysterious plane crash...

Preparations are well under way for the Valley's premier aviation event - the Edwards Air Force Base Open House and Air Show. The free two-day event is set for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28 and 29, at the base that has been home to flight testing nearly every aircraft in the Air Force inventory - past, present and future. That heritage is reflected in the event's theme - "The Edwards' Edge: Making History, Reaching New Heights." This year's festivities also will honor the 60th anniversary of the Air Force, one of the first official events to do so. Headlining the...

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE - Planning for the upcoming open house on Oct. 22 and 23 is hitting a fever pitch as base officials finalize one of the most diverse air shows to hit the Antelope Valley and Los Angeles area in years. This year there will be just under seven hours of continuous flying featuring nearly 34 separate flight demonstrations; more than triple those of most shows common to southern California. Some highlights include a special performance by aviation legend Chuck Yeager flying a P-51 Mustang, the same type of aircraft Yeager flew when he became an ace in...