october november american american united_states_air_force jet ace history born oklahoma lived kansas enlisted aviation cadet fort riley graduating high school attended flying schools texas received pilot wings commissioned second lieutenant flew tours combat duty europe world war north american pilot scored air victories german aircraft flew jet aircraft lockheed shooting star transitioning north american sabre aircraft shoot multiple soviet built jets korean war achieved confirmed air victory war april month later scored fifth sixth victories making american jet ace history eventually scored victories giving title triple ace ranked second highest scoring ace korean war received accomplishments combat held series commands air_force bases united_states flew lockheed later leave service vietnam colonel traveling family cars new home daughter crashed car driving riding killing buried arlington national cemetery recognition contributions military aviation airport outside kansas named honor year alumni association award academy graduate accomplishments demonstrate superior performance early life born oklahoma descent father john mother came town joined eventually eagle scout early age set pilot read articles eddie novels read air combat guess sixth grade ambition fighter pilot worked parents grocery store graduated kansas standing feet inches tall short potential fighter pilot reportedly required wear prevent immediately enlisting aviation cadet kansas attempt improve flying ate day mistaken belief improve vision attending flying schools texas received pilot wings commission second lieutenant moore field texas october wife children world war world war allied forces fought german aircraft allies fighter aircraft including north american assigned tours combat duty pilot europe tour lasted january october mission assigned attacking german railroad targets belgium march mission escorting bombers germany german pilot shot canopy faced freezing temperatures high altitude able shoot german aircraft returning base mission formation pilot collided safely aircraft destroyed incident engaged german aircraft collided mid air pilots safely floated ground met shook hands tour ended returned united_states instructor pilots returned europe second tour february december european combat known kid penchant smoking flew combat missions credited destruction half german aircraft aerial combat half considered shared pilot ground received oak leaf cluster victories air medal world war considered leaving military attend college later decided attend florida stationed okinawa okinawa flew jet aircraft lockheed shooting star reflecting transition jet aircraft said entirely different feet remembered raise landing gear quiet fast guess probably moment life returned united_states assigned flight commander rank captain 4th fighter wing flying newly operational north american sabre jet fighter new castle county airport delaware korean war start korean war split american backed government south soviet backed opposing government north divided 38th parallel united_states soviet_union agreed maintain division mutual decision future peninsula june north korean troops crossed parallel attacked key south korean targets united_states prepared military assistance soviet_union helped north training pilots providing aircraft arrived korea december fighter squadron 4th fighter wing squadron sabre unit deployed counter threat soviet january flown combat missions damaged korean jet fighter air combat achieved confirmed victory april took region northwestern north_korea credited april april fourth april eager fifth victory deemed flying ace voluntarily transferred fighter squadron rotated united_states flights encountered multiple radio communications additional flights joined battle including preparation oncoming battle sabre pilots ordered auxiliary fuel tanks improve fuel tank failed separate wing protocol required return base aircraft extra weight limit potential match decided continue air battle able handle aircraft credited shooting caliber machine gun fire group plane group able aircraft explode gunfire saw second victory avoiding targeted fifth sixth victories american history use jet aircraft ace americans said minute air battle included nearly russian data shows american pilots recorded victories pilot probable returning base sabre low fuel turned engine base turning prior landing data matching soviet records available end cold war shown lost combat jet versus jet tally best american military forces claimed jet versus jet ace later stated interview bag day feel pretty good know jet ace history aerial warfare mission 63rd korean mission eventual awarded nation second highest decoration wishes received leave publicity tour family grocery store people days father john appeared local national radio television mounted attended city history sent goodwill tour father middle_east gave speech father hometown lebanon film included footage aircraft accolades included song bird ritual rewarding boston baseball game returned united_states temporary assignment air force headquarters washington months later transferred illinois request returned tour duty overseas arriving korea january major second tour credited shooting total victories recorded seventh victory shot additional total war june shot days later flight group encountered encountered mechanical problems nearly caused aircraft crash elevated hill resolving aircraft issues returned battle able shoot damaged june missions day resulted victory second mission involved escorting sabre fighter bombers shot came heavy fire attempt evade attack quickly accelerated engine aircraft ocean potential water rescue crashed able restart engine return base recorded final victory july days later flew missions eager find attempt tie surpass air victories opposing aircraft victories gave title triple ace korean war victories received oak leaf cluster distinguished service cross additional air victories korean war second american air victories recorded soviet_union pilots exceeded tied victories korea returned united_states july assigned commander air force base later renamed arizona january florida join test lockheed reassigned headquarters syracuse new_york assumed command fighter squadron air force base massachusetts flew combat missions taiwan july june attended graduated montgomery alabama texas piloted bomber helped train nato pilots july stationed luke air force base arizona wrote aircraft significant technological improvement sabre given command 31st tactical fighter wing florida risen rank colonel youngest rank time volunteered fly combat missions vietnam war flew mission july joining super sabre flight group bombing run damaged buildings held returned leave homestead week mission death traveling south_carolina family stay returned combat vietnam year old daughter died car accident florida november family cars day way new home south_carolina wife children reside combat tour driving father passenger seat lost control car going construction zone initially grass median highway rapid turn lost control vehicle returned median rolled times sustained head injuries pronounced dead arrival hospital died days later memorial service held homestead air force base missing man formation fly daughter buried single grave arlington national cemetery grandson graduate killed pilot training accident texas january legacy airport north kansas named colonel honor year alumni association award academy graduate accomplishments demonstrate superior performance fields directly involved vehicles james memorial foundation founded friend foundation constructed statue colorado named distinguished aviator year named men promote aviation years named awards decorations world war colonel awarded oak leaf cluster air medal oak leaf clusters korea received oak leaf cluster awarded missions flown april shot defending american bombers received shooting fifth sixth victories received oak leaf cluster united_kingdom awarded accomplishments combat december
James Jabara