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USMC Aces

U.S. Marine Corps

Marine Corps F4F Wildcat at Guadalcanal

Marine Corps F4F Wildcat at Guadalcanal, marked with 19 Japanese flags.

Alphabetical List of WW2 Marine Aces

118 USMC pilots who shot down 5+ Japanese planes

By , June, 1999. Updated June 30, 2011.

The Marine Corps aces fought some of the hardest battles of the Pacific War, most notably the grinding struggle for Guadalcanal, where the few pilots of the 'Cactus Air Force' saved the beachhead from Japanese counter-attacks. Several fliers from this period, Joe Foss, John L. Smith, Harold Bauer, and Robert Galer earned the Medal of Honor in this period.

The Marine fliers also figured in the drive up through the Solomons, and achieved many great successes in late 1943 and early 1944, when, equipped with powerful F4U Corsairs, aces like Pappy Boyington and Robert Hanson drove the Zeros from the skies of the Northern Solomons. Later in the war, many Marines 'made ace' over Okinawa, shooting down Japanese Kamikazes.

Here is a complete list of all the USMC aces of World War Two, with links to relevant pages, where available. When I have been able to find it, I have also listed the "highest" medal earned.

Name Kills Comments Medals Unit Plane
Donald N. Aldrich 20.0 first enlisted in RCAF NC VMF-215 F4U
Stuart C. Alley Jr. 5.0 - DFC VMF-323 F4U
George C. Axtell 6.0 CO, ace in a day 4/22/45 NC VMF-323 F4U
Robert Baird 6.0 only USMC night fighter ace NC VMF(N)-533 F6F
Robert M. Baker 7.0 - DFC VMF-121 F4U
Donald Luther Balch 5.0 2 in Solomons
3 from Bunker Hill
DFC VMF-221 F4U
Frank B. Baldwin 5.0 - DFC VMF-221 F4U
Harold W. Bauer 11.0 KIA, C.O. MH VMF-212 F4F
John F. Bolt Jr. 6.0 Black Sheep, also 6 in Korea NC VMF-214 F4U
Gregory Boyington 22.0 C.O. Black Sheep Sqn.
POW Jan '44
MH VMF-214 F4U
Richard Lane Braun 5.0 - DFC VMF-215 F4U
William P. Brown Jr. 7.0 - NC VMF-311 F4U
Marion Eugene Carl 18.5 at Midway with VMF-221,
first USMC ace
NC VMF-223 16.5 in F4F
2 in F4U
William A. Carlton 5.0 - DFC VMF-212 F4U
William Northrop Case 8.0 Black Sheep DFC VMF-214 F4U
Dean Caswell 7.0 - SS VMF-221 F4U
Creighton Chandler 6.0 - DFC VMF-215 F4U
Arthur Roger Conant 6.0 betw. Aug. 43 - Jan. 44 DFC VMF-215 F4U
Jack E. Conger 10.0 TDY with VMF-223 NC VMF-212 F4F
William E. Crowe 7.0 - NC VMF-124 F4U
James N. Cupp 13.0 - NC VMF-213 F4U
Leonard K. Davis 5.0 Guadalcanal, C.O. NC VMF-121 F4F
Philip Cunliffe De Long 11.2 between Jan.-Feb, 44 SS VMF-212 F4U
Jefferson J. DeBlanc 9.0 5 kills, then bailed out MH VMF-112 F4F
Joseph V. Dillard 6.3 - SS VMF-323 F4U
Eugene Dillow 6.0 - DFC VMF-221 F4U
John Francis Dobbin 8.0 Evac 10/16/42 NC VMF-224 F4F
Archie Glenn Donahue 14.0 Twice ace in a day NC VMF-112
VMF-451
2 in F4F
12 in F4U
Jefferson D. Dorroh 6.0 XO, ace in a day 4/22/45 NC VMF-323 F4U
Cecil J. Doyle 5.0 MIA Nov '42 NC VMF-121 F4F
Charles W. Drake 5.0 - NC VMF-323 F4U
Frank C. Drury 6.0 TDY with VMF-223 NC VMF-212 F4F
Dewey F. Durnford 6.3 - DFC VMF-323 F4U
Hugh McJ. Elwood 5.2 - DSC VMF-212 F4U
Loren D. Everton 12.0 10 on TDY with VMF-223 NC VMF-212 10 in F4F
2 in F4U
William Farrell 5.0 - NC VMF-312 F4U
Howard J. Finn 6.0 - DFC VMF-124 F4U
Don Horns Fisher 6.0 Black Sheep DFC VMF-214 F4U
Paul John Fontana 5.0 - NC VMF-112 F4F
Kenneth M. Ford 5.0 - DFC VMF-121 F4U
Joseph Jacob Foss 26.0 active for 3 months, X.O. MH VMF-121 F4F
Robert B. Fraser 6.0 See Porter's book DFC VMF-112 F4F?
Kenneth D. Frazier 12.5 Evac 10/12/42 NC VMF-223 F4F
William B. Freeman 6.0 - DFC VMF-121 F4F
Robert E. Galer 13.0 C.O., 11 kills in 29 days MH VMF-224 F4F
Fred E. Gutt 8.0 - DFC VMF-223 4 in F4F
4 in F4U
Roger A. Haberman 7.0 Guadalcanal, Wildcat NC VMF-121 F4F
Albert C. Hacking 5.0 - DFC VMF-221 F4U
Sheldon O. Hall 6.0 - AM VMF-213 F4U
Henry B. Hamilton 7.0 KIA, TDY with VMF-223 NC VMF-212 F4F
Herman Hansen Jr. 5.5 C.O. of sqn? NC VMF-122 F4U
Robert Murray Hanson 25.0 Top Corsair ace
KIA Feb '44, New Ireland
MH 2 w/ VMF-214
23 with -215
all in F4U
Edwin James Hernan Jr. 8.0 - DFC VMF-215 F4U
George L. Hollowell 8.0 Evac 10/16/42 DFC VMF-224 F4U
William L. Hood 5.5 - DFC VMF-323 F4U
John C. Hundley 6.0 - DFC VMF-211 F4U
Julius W. Ireland 5.3 all in Jan. 44 DFC VMF-211 F4U
Alvin J. Jensen 7.0 Swashbuckler NC VMF-214 2 in F4F
5 in F4U
Charles David Jones 6.0 - SS VMF-222 F4U
Charles Kendrick 5.0 KIA 10/2/42 DFC VMF-223 F4F
Floyd C. Kirkpatrick 5.5 3 on Okinawa DFC VMF-441 F4U
Charles M. Kunz 8.0 Evac 10/16/42 NC VMF-224 F4F
Wayne W. Laird 5.0 - - VMF-112 F4F
Gregory. K. Loesch 8.5 KIA Sept. '43 NC VMF-121 F4F
Herbert H. Long 10.0 - LM VMF-121 3 in F4F
7 in F4U
Joseph P. Lynch 5.5 - DFC VMF-112/155/224 3.5 in F4F
2 in F4U
John B. Maas Jr. 5.5 - DFC VMF-112/322 3 in F4F
2.5 in F4U
Christopher L. Magee 9.0 Black Sheep NC VMF-214 F4U
Thomas H. Mann Jr. 10.0 TDY with VMF-224 NC VMF-121 F4F
William P. Marontate 13.0 KIA Jan. '43 NC VMF-121 F4F
H. Allen McCartney Jr. 5.0 Black Sheep LM 4 w/ VMF-251/121
1 with VMF-214
1 in F4F
4 in F4U
Robert W. McClurg 7.0 Black Sheep DFC VMF-214 F4U
Selva E. McGinty 5.0 3 on Okinawa DFC VMF-441 F4U
John McManus 6.0 - SS VMF-212 F4U
John L. Morgan Jr. 8.5 - DFC VMF-213 F4U
Paul A. Mullen 6.5 Black Sheep DFC 1.5 with VMF-122
5 with VMF-214
F4U
Joseph L. Narr 8.0 - NC VMF-121 F4F
Jeremiah J. O'Keefe 7.0 ace in a day 4/22/45 NC VMF-323 F4U
Edwin L. Olander 5.0 Black Sheep DFC VMF-214 F4U
Edmund F. Overend 8.3 5.3 Ki-21 bombers
3 with USMC
DFC AVG
VMF-321
5.3 in P-40
3 in F4U
Donald C. Owen 5.0 2.5 in F4U, Not Cactus? DFC VMF-212/112 F4U/?
Robert G. Owens Jr. 7.0 C.O. of 215, all kills betw.
Aug.43 - Jan. 44
NC VMF-215 F4U
Frederick R. Payne 7.5 TDY with VMF-223 NC VMF-212 F4F
Gilbert Percy 6.0 - NC VMF-112 5 in F4F
1 in F4U
Hyde Phillips 5.0 - DFC VMF-223 F4F
Francis E. Pierce Jr. 6.0 NC story in Hammel NC VMF-212 5 in F4F
1 in F4U
Jack Pittman Jr. 7.0 3 in F4U SS VMF-221 F4U/?
Zenneth A. Pond 6.0 KIA 9/10/42 NC VMF-223 F4F
Robert Bruce Porter 5.0 only Marine aviator to score
kills in both Corsair and Hellcat
NC VMF-121
VMF(N)-542
3 in F4U
2 in F6F
George H. Poske 5.0 - DFC VMF-212/215 F4U
Nathan T. Post 8.0 5 in F4U LM VMF-221 F4U/?
Ernest A. Powell 5.0 4 in F4U NC VMF-122 F4U/?
Frank H. Presley 6.0 - NC VMF-121 F4U?
Orvin H. Ramlo 5.0 - NC VMF-223 F4F
J. Hunter Reinburg 7.0 4 in F4U SS VMF-121 F4F/F4U
John W. Ruhsam 7.0 - NC VMF-323 F4U
Donald H. Sapp 11.0 10 kills? NC VMF-222 F4U
Hartwell V. Scarborough 5.0 Swashbuckler DFC VMF-214 1 in F4F
4 in F4U
Robert Byron See 5.0 - DFC VMF-321 F4U
Harold E. Segal 12.0 fished out of Pacific DFC VMF-221 F4U
Edward O. Shaw 13.0 14.5 kills? DFC VMF-213 F4U
Perry L. Shuman 6.0 - LM VMF-121 F4U
Wallace E. Sigler 5.3 4.33 in F4U DFC VMF-112/124 F4F/F4U
John L. Smith 19.0 all in 7 weeks, C.O. MH VMF-223 F4F
William N. Snider 11.5 8.5 in F4U SS VMF-221 F4U/?
Harold L. Spears 15.0 - DFC VMF-215 F4U
Robert F. Stout 6.0 TDY with VMF-224 NC VMF-212 F4F
James E. Swett 15.5 7 Vals on 7Apr43 MH VMF-221 7 in F4F
8.5 in F4U
Stanley T. "Chief" Synar 5.0 - DFC VMF-112
VMF-214
2 in F4F
3 in F4U
Francis A. Terrill 6.1 - DFC VMF-323 F4U
Franklin C. Thomas Jr. 9.0 - NC VMF-112? F4F
Wilbur J. Thomas 18.5 4 Zeroes on Jun 30 '44;
2 from Essex in Feb. 45
NC VMF-213 F4U
Eugene A. Trowbridge 12.0 Evac 9/14/42 NC VMF-223 F4F
Herbert J. Valentine 6.0 - NC VMF-312 F4U
Milton N. Vedder 6.0 4 in Corsair DFC VMF-213 F4U
Robert Wade 7.0 - NC VMF-323 F4U
Kenneth A. Walsh 21.0 Solomons, first Corsair ace MH VMF-124 F4U
Arthur T. Warner 8.0 - NC VMF-215 F4U
Gregory J. Weissenberger 5.0 C.O. ; all kills June - July 43 DFC VMF-213 F4U
Albert P. Wells 5.0 - DFC VMF-323 F4U
Gerard M.H. Williams 7.0 - DFC VMF-215 F4U
Donald K. Yost 8.0 VMF-121 in late '42
VMF-351 in mid '45
SS VMF-121
VMF-351
6 in F4F
2 in F4U
Michael R. Yunck 5.0 2 in F4U SS VMF-311 F4U/?