Retired Navy Capt. Royce Williams is saluted as he approaches the award podium to receive the Navy Cross for his actions in the Korean War, at the San Diego Air and Space Museum, California, Jan. 20, 2023. Williams’ actions included engaging seven Soviet MiG-15s in a dogfight which lasted more than 30 minutes and ended after Williams shot down four enemy fighters, utilizing all 760 20mm machine gun rounds available. When Williams landed his Grumman F9F Panther, the Navy’s first successful carried-based jet fighter, aboard the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34), the
Retired Navy Capt. Royce Williams is saluted as he approaches the award podium to receive the Navy Cross for his actions in the Korean War, at the San Diego Air and Space Museum, California, Jan. 20, 2023. Williams’ actions included engaging seven Soviet MiG-15s in a dogfight which lasted more than 30 minutes and ended after Williams shot down four enemy fighters, utilizing all 760 20mm machine gun rounds available. When Williams landed his Grumman F9F Panther, the Navy’s first successful carried-based jet fighter, aboard the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34), the crew counted more than 260 bullet holes in the aircraft. Williams’ initially received the Silver Star in 1953, but later upgraded to the Navy Cross, the second highest military decoration for combat valor and extraordinary heroism. Williams is a San Diego native.
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Keywords: .., award, cross, fighter, korean, navy, pilot, war
