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The Terrible Story Of David McCampbell Of Bessemer During WWII And Honoring Him For His Services In 1944

The Terrible Story Of David McCampbell  Of Bessemer During WWII And Honoring Him For His Services In 1944


   David McCampbell of Bessemer, Alabama, a Captain in the U.S. Navy, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary actions  on June 19, 1944, and October 24, 1944 during the Battle of the Philippine Sea & Battle of Leyte Gulf, Philippine Islands.

On June 19, 1944, during “Marianas Turkey Shoot,” Commander McCampbell shot down five Japanese Yokosuka D4Y ‘Judy’ dive-bombers to become an “ace in a day.” Later that afternoon, he downed two Mitsubishi A6M ‘Zekes’ over Guam.

On October 24, 1944, he became the only American airman to achieve “ace in a day” status twice. McCampbell and his wingman attacked a Japanese force of 60 aircraft. He shot down nine, setting a U.S. single-mission aerial combat record.

For his actions on these days, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, becoming the only Fast Carrier Task Force pilot to be so honored. He was promoted to captain in July 1952 and retired from the Navy in 1964. He died in Florida in 1996 and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

McCampbell is the Navy's all-time leading flying ace and top F6F Hellcat ace with 34 aerial victories. He was the third-highest American-scoring ace of World War II and the highest-scoring American ace to survive the war. 

He also set a world single-mission aerial combat record of shooting down nine enemy planes in one mission on October 24, 1944.

#WeRememberThem

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