Warbird Information Exchange

First of all, a question...does anyone recall who was the last person (to date) is the US military to become an ace in air-to-air combat?

Secondly, will we see any more US pilots earn the distinction of becoming an ace? While I would never say never, it seems less likely as the years pass.

I think if i recall off head the last ACE is the WSO Jeffrey_S._Feinstein
5 kills last in October 1972

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Fighters pilots are born to make movies , bomber pilots make HISTORY, cargo crews haul their material and fame.

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Fighters pilots are born to make movies , bomber pilots make HISTORY, cargo crews haul their material and fame.

Chuck DeBellevue retired as a Colonel from active duty as commander of the AFROTC Detachment 440, University of Missouri-Columbia in January 1998, after 30 years of military service. He was the last American ace on active duty.

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Fighters pilots are born to make movies , bomber pilots make HISTORY, cargo crews haul their material and fame.

Ive got Willie Driscoll signature on a F-4J painting shame i missed Randy Cunningham also but alas... shame Randy didnt pay more attention to his military ethics and avoid jail he used to be one of my vietnam heros of the war in F4 side but not anymore.. sad but that my choice Steve Ritchie and Chuckie are my favs nowdays ... well i will admit ive have their signature over many of my photos, books and items

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Fighters pilots are born to make movies , bomber pilots make HISTORY, cargo crews haul their material and fame.

i of course know of driscoll, cuningham & ritchie. but not the other 2. any details as to their ace status?? i've got ritchies autograph, a sharp guy who is on the speaking circuit. as for duke??? very disappointing, an ace shot down in flames..... greed got him.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Ritchie likes to bill himself as the "Last Ace ".

I think someone or some people questioned the billing, so now he says last pilot ace.

I received Cunningham's signature by writing to his Congressional office, while he was still in D.C. I got back a nice hand written note and a nicely signed index card. I had planned on having it framed together with a 'profile' of the Phantom he was flying for his 5th victory. I won't be doing that any time soon.

As for Richie, I've never had any luck getting his signature in person or via the mail. I've seen him a couple of times in person and he wasn't willing to sign either time.

last ace Steve Ritchie 5th victory 28 August 1972...........I sat next to him at a dinner a few fears back, a real experience.
Gary

gary wrong.. as i said before, see I think if i recall off head the last ACE is the WSO Jeffrey S. Feinstein 5 kills last in October 1972

that OCTOBER 1972 kill makes Jeff the last ACE as he was a backseater WSO..

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Fighters pilots are born to make movies , bomber pilots make HISTORY, cargo crews haul their material and fame.

Honestly, I think you guys are being too hard on Cunningham

Do I think he was a crooked politician? You bet.

But personally I don't think his failures as a politician should mar his record and accomplishments as a military officer and Naval Aviator. That the "Pete Rose" mentality.

So some poor schmuk falls from grace. So what. You say he's a dirtbag across the board, for the rest of his life?

The fact is he's human and just like the rest of us, can make good decisions and bad decisions. Over Vietnam he made good ones and not so good ones later in his political career. There are plenty of officals and politicians that are just as crooked that haven't been caught. And some Joe Schmoes as well.

I say cut Randy "Duke" Cunningham some slack. He's being punished.

If I had the "Duke's" signature, I wouldn't think twice about displaying it on my wall. I'd slap it up there with a picture of "Showtime 100".

When I think of Cunningham and Driscoll and any other aircrews involved in combat over Vietnam, I don't cast them in a dark shadow for what they did later in life. I think that these were brave men, in their hour of horrific glory doing their job, forging history with their blood.

Is their sacrifice any less significant?


Shay
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Semper Fortis

Shay, I agree with you. What he did as a pilot is what we are talking about. He had not crossed that bridge when he was flying so he should be judged in that arena alone.

Now, for the real question, who was the last, historical statistics (which I do not have but someone does) should clearly show who flew the last and latest date as an Ace and would hold that distinction. Eh?

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

aces last were all from vietnam war you choose who you want either a pilot or a RIO or WSO as the last ace that the options...

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Fighters pilots are born to make movies , bomber pilots make HISTORY, cargo crews haul their material and fame.

Isn't it funny how that works? People on this board are willing to discount Cunningham's achievements in the skies over Vietnam because of his apalling lack of SA after the end of his military career.

YET...there are other people on this board who, in recent threads, outright said that because someone was an ace/war hero/decorated veteran, they were essentially beyond reproach in their life after the military.

Can't have it both ways, I'm afraid!

The reality is that combat veterans are just regular people. Having extrordinary accomplishments in combat doesn't mean that you are personally infallible. Being a complete tool in "regular life", likewise, does not invalidate any wartime accimplishments.

How about this: We honor our veterans for their courage and sacrifice. And then we remember that their courage and sacrifice often leads them to do things as civilians which we are not so pleased with. Ira Hayes is a good example of this. He came home so messed up that he turned into a drunk and a vagrant and died of exposure lying drunk next toa road one night. I think Duke Cunningham's later actions are directly attributable to the fighter pilots mentality. I don't like it, but I have seen far too many vets come home and make major mistakes because their experiences as young men damage their judgement later.
We Americans eem all to willing to applaud our young men for their sacrifices, and then abuse them when they make mistakes as a reult of them.

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."