National Cemetery Administration
Remembrance: U.S. Flying Aces of the Korean War
A three-ship F-86 Sabre formation during the Korean War. (U.S. Air Force)The Korean War
The Korean War began in 1950, when North Korean forces, backed by the Soviet Union and China, crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea, aiming to reunify the peninsula under communist control. The United Nations, led mainly by the United States, responded quickly to South Korea's call for help, assembling a multinational force to push back the invasion. The conflict quickly escalated, resulting in a series of back-and-forth battles across the Korean peninsula. The armistice in 1953 brought an uneasy ceasefire, but it did not bring peace or reunification. The Korean War ended with Korea still divided, the Demilitarized Zone firmly in place.
Watch: 75th Anniversary of the Korean War
Aircraft
The Korean War was the first conflict with widespread use of jet-engine powered fighter aircraft by both sides. Initially, U.S. pilots flew many different models of planes, including the F-51 Mustang, the F-80 Shooting Star, and the F-82 Twin Mustang. These aircraft matched the capabilities of the North Korean fighter planes. However, when the Soviet Union introduced its MiG-15, and later the improved MiG-15bis, the United States switched to the F-86 Sabre fighter. It was the only plane that could rival the MiG-15 in combat.
Ace Status
To be considered an ace, a pilot must have 5 aerial victories. However, the Air Force criteria for earning a victory varied from war to war. During World War II and the Korean War, one victory was divided among all the aviators who contributed to the destruction of an enemy aircraft. Thus, with the awarding of fractional credits, the destruction of an enemy aircraft could result in no more than one credit. Crediting the number of victories was challenging due to poor records, intentional overestimation, and the difficulty of confirming crashes.
North American F-86A in flight, 1951. It was one of the first of the Air Force's Sabre units, and flown in Korea.
(U.S. Air Force)
Repainted in USAF markings and insignia, the MiG-15bis under guard and awaiting flight-testing.
(U.S. Air Force)
U.S. Flying Aces
Over the three years of the Korean War, 41 U.S. pilots achieved ace status. All of these pilots achieved this while primarily flying the F-86 Sabre, except for Maj. Gen. Frederick C. Blesse, who flew the P-51 Mustang while earning his 10 aerial victories. Only two of the 41 aces were not members of the Air Force: Lt. Col. John F Bolt was an aviator with the U.S. Marine Corps, and Cdr. Guy P. Bordelon, Jr., flew with the U.S. Navy.
There were 1,000 U.S. fighter pilots who served during the Korean War, but only about a third of these aviators were credited with an aerial victory. The United Nations claimed over 700 victories. The 41 American aces were responsible for forty percent of these victories.
The highest-achieving ace was Capt. Joseph C. McConnell, who had 16 victories during the Korean War. The top five U.S. aces — Capt. Joseph C. McConnell (16), Col. James Jabara (15), Maj. Manuel J. Fernandez Jr. (14.5), Lt. Col. George A. Davis Jr. (14), and Lt. Gen. Royal N. Baker (13) — are responsible for a combined 72.5 victories, about 10 percent of the United Nations' total.
Capt. Joseph J. McConnell, the top ace of the Korean War with 16 victories. (U.S. Air Force)
Six aviators were aces in both World War II and the Korean War. These men are Lt. Col. John F. Bolt, Col. Francis S. Gabreski, Col. Vermont Garrison, Col. James P. Hagerstrom, Brig. Gen. Harrison R. Thyng, and Col. William T. Whisner, Jr. They all achieved at least five victories in each conflict.
Remembrance
The 41 U.S. flying aces of the Korean War are listed on this page below. NCA invites you to remember these Veterans and visit those with memorial pages to celebrate the legacy, military service and sacrifice to our nation of these heroes. You can post tributes, upload images, and share biographical information, historical documents and more.
Some of these servicemembers are not interred in a VA national cemetery, but still have a Veterans Legacy Memorial page. One way to obtain a Veterans Legacy Memorial page is to apply for a Medallion to affix to a privately purchased headstone or marker. If an application is submitted on behalf of a servicemember and they are found eligible for a Medallion, a memorial page on the Veterans Legacy Memorial will be automatically created.
Learn more and apply for a Medallion »
U.S. Flying Aces of the Korean War
Donald E. Adams
U.S. Air Force, MAJ
6.5 Aerial Victories
Clinton Grove Cemetery, MI
Royal N. Baker
U.S. Air Force, LT GEN
13 Aerial Victories
Pecan Grove Cemetery, TX
Robert P. Baldwin
U.S. Air Force, COL
5 Aerial Victories
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, CA
Richard S. Becker
U.S. Air Force, MAJ
5 Aerial Victories
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Stephen L. Bettinger
U.S. Air Force, COL
5 Aerial Victories
Sunset Hills Cemetery, MI
John F. Bolt
U.S. Marine Corps, LT COL
6 Aerial Victories
Evergreen Municipal Cemetery, FL
Henry Buttelmann
U.S. Air Force, LT COL
7 Aerial Victories
Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, IL
Richard D. Creighton
U.S. Air Force, COL
5 Aerial Victories
Clyde A. Curtin
U.S. Air Force, MAJ
5 Aerial Victories
Mission Burial Park South, TX
George A. Davis, Jr.
U.S. Air Force, LT COL
14 Aerial Victories
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, HI
Harold E. Fischer
U.S. Air Force, COL
10 Aerial Victories
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Cecil G. Foster
U.S. Air Force, LT COL
9 Aerial Victories
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Vermont Garrison
U.S. Air Force, COL
10 Aerial Victories
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Ralph D. Gibson
U.S. Air Force, COL
5 Aerial Victories
East Lawn Palms Cemetery, AZ
James Jabara
U.S. Air Force, COL
15 Aerial Victories
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
James K. Johnson
U.S. Air Force, COL
10 Aerial Victories
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Clifford D. Jolley
U.S. Air Force, LT COL
7 Aerial Victories
Bountiful Memorial Park, UT
George L. Jones
U.S. Air Force, COL
6.5 Aerial Victories
Florida National Cemetery, FL
James H. Kasler
U.S. Air Force, COL
6 Aerial Victories
Crown Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery, IN
Leonard W. Lilley
U.S. Air Force, COL
7 Aerial Victories
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Robert J. Love
U.S. Air Force, MAJ
6 Aerial Victories
James F. Low
U.S. Air Force, MAJ
9 Aerial Victories
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Winton W. Marshall
U.S. Air Force, LT GEN
6.5 Aerial Victories
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Joseph C. McConnell
U.S. Air Force, CAPT
16 Aerial Victories
Victor Valley Memorial Park, CA
Lonnie R. Moore
U.S. Air Force, MAJ
10 Aerial Victories
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, TX
Robert H. Moore
U.S. Air Force, CAPT
5 Aerial Victories
Dolphin D. Overton
U.S. Air Force, 1ST LT
5 Aerial Victories
Prince George Winyah Cemetery, SC
Ralph S. Parr, Jr.
U.S. Air Force, COL
10 Aerial Victories
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, TX
Robinson Risner
U.S. Air Force, BRIG GEN
8 Aerial Victories
Arlington National Cemetery, VA
George I. Ruddell
U.S. Air Force, COL
8 Aerial Victories
Willamette National Cemetery, OR
Harrison R. Thyng
U.S. Air Force, BRIG GEN
5 Aerial Victories
River View Cemetery, OR
William H. Westcott
U.S. Air Force, LT COL
5 Aerial Victories
National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, AZ
William T. Whisner, Jr.
U.S. Air Force, COL
5.5 Aerial Victories
