List of WW2 Marine Aces

USMC Aces

History of Marine Corps Aviation

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

Name Kills Comments Medals Unit Plane 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/?