ace

Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker in 94th Aero Squadron, Spad XIII No. 1. Perhaps post-war, note the Fokker D.VII with engine running in left background.

From a George Retelas February, 2022 Facebook post (Found by my Google search for Keith Diz Laird): Dean S. "Diz" Laird (born February 7, 1921) is the only U.S. Navy ace to have combat victories in both the Pacific and European theaters of World War II. In this new short film I produced for the USS Hornet Museum, Diz recalls his first combat flight in a F4F Wildcat with VF-4 "The Red Rippers" against the German Luftwaffe (a Junkers Ju-88 and a Heinkel He-115) on October 4, 1943 near Norway. He later added three more strikes against Japanese aircraft in the Pacific theater in a F6F Hellcat to become an "Ace". Diz Laird currently volunteers as a docent aboard the USS Hornet Museum where the ship has restored an FM-2 Wildcat that was recovered from the bottom of Lake Michigan. "Two Down, Three to Go" (5min): youtu.be/CtVOnYvv4Uw USS Hornet - Sea, Air and Space Museum American Fighter Aces Association & Friends The Tailhook Association Naval History & Heritage Command U.S. Naval Air Forces The Red Rippers

"Keith Diz Laird" pilot fighter Ace WW2 "World War II" "Diz Laird" "USS Hornet Museum" "F4F Wildcat" "VF-4 Red Rippers" "F6F Wildcat" "Pacific Theater" "European Theater" "German Luftwaffe" "Japanese" docent "FM-2 Wildcat" "USS Hornet - Sea, Air and Space Museum American Fighter Aces Association & Friends"

Republic P-47N-1-RE Thunderbolt 44-88211 'Little Meatie's Meat Chopper' '146' with Lt. Oscar Perdomo 464FS, 507FG, Ie Shima, 1945. It was surprisingly difficult to determine the USAAF serial of this famous aircraft on the Wild Whacky Web. But the s/n is actually visible in this photo, in the data stencil just to the right of Perdomo's knee.