100-Year-Old Navy Ace Finally Honored

After seven decades of government-imposed silence, a 100-year-old Navy hero will finally receive the Medal of Honor for single-handedly defeating four Soviet MiG fighters in a secret Cold War battle our leaders swept under the rug to avoid confronting communist aggression.

Story Snapshot

Captain Royce Williams shot down four Soviet MiG-15s in a 35-minute dogfight over the Sea of Japan on November 18, 1952, despite flying an inferior aircraft riddled with 263 bullet holes.
The Navy forced Williams to remain silent for 50 years about directly engaging Soviet pilots, prioritizing political convenience over recognizing extraordinary valor that saved American lives.
President Trump will award the Medal of Honor in 2026, correcting a shameful bureaucratic failure that denied proper recognition due to Cold War secrecy and administrative time limits.
Williams became the top-scoring Navy jet ace of the Korean War, the only carrier-based pilot to achieve ace-in-a-day status, yet received merely a Silver Star until legislative action forced overdue justice.

Lone Warrior Against Soviet Aggressors

Lieutenant E. Royce Williams Jr. launched from USS Oriskany on November 18, 1952, for what became an unprecedented aerial battle against technologically superior Soviet fighters. Williams and three fellow F9F Panther pilots intercepted four to seven MiG-15s flown by Soviet Naval Aviation personnel from Vladivostok bases near Cape Gamov. Two American pilots returned to the carrier due to fuel concerns, leaving Williams and one wingman facing the communist threat at 26,000 feet over the Sea of Japan. After Williams downed the first MiG, his wingman departed, forcing the lieutenant to face multiple Soviet jets alone for 35 minutes of intense combat that tested every ounce of skill and courage.

Superior Enemy Aircraft No Match for American Grit

The MiG-15s possessed significant advantages in speed and climb rate over Williams’ Grumman F9F-5 Panther, yet the Navy pilot exploited his aircraft’s maneuverability to survive and prevail. Williams expended all 760 rounds of his 20mm ammunition while downing four enemy fighters, killing Soviet pilots including Captain Belyakov, Vandalov, Lieutenant Pakhomkin, and Tarshinov. His Panther sustained catastrophic damage from direct 23mm cannon hits, losing hydraulics and accumulating 263 holes throughout the airframe. Despite friendly fire from nervous escort ships mistaking his damaged aircraft for an enemy, Williams skillfully landed on Oriskany. The aircraft, Bureau Number 125459, remarkably remained in service until 1959, testament to both American engineering and Williams’ extraordinary piloting under impossible conditions.

Decades of Government-Imposed Silence

Navy leadership immediately classified Williams’ engagement as top-secret, ordering the pilot to never discuss the mission that involved direct combat between American and Soviet forces during the Korean War. This bureaucratic decision prioritized avoiding political confrontation with the USSR over recognizing exceptional heroism that embodied American military excellence. Williams received only the Silver Star, a significant award but grossly inadequate for single-handedly defeating four enemy aircraft while sustaining mission-killing damage. The pilot honored his orders and remained silent for decades, even as his accomplishment made him the top-scoring carrier-based Navy jet ace of the Korean War. Only after the Soviet Union’s 1991 collapse did Russian records confirm the encounter, finally allowing official U.S. recognition of all four kills and opening pathways for proper acknowledgment.

Legislative Action Corrects Bureaucratic Failure

Congress authorized Medal of Honor consideration through National Defense Authorization Act legislation, waiving standard time restrictions that bureaucrats used to deny Williams proper recognition for 74 years. The legislative push gained momentum after historians like Thomas McKelvey Cleaver documented Williams’ status as the top-scoring carrier-based naval aviator of the “forgotten war” and advocates including Oliver North publicly declared Williams deserved America’s highest military honor. President Trump will present the Medal of Honor to the 100-year-old retired Navy Captain, who served 37 years including Vietnam combat operations and POW advocacy. Williams’ humility remains evident in his 2022 statement: “In the moment I was a fighter pilot doing my job.” This overdue recognition highlights how government secrecy and administrative obstacles can deny heroes their rightful place in history, requiring legislative intervention to overcome entrenched bureaucracy.

Navy pilot to receive Medal of Honor nearly 75 years after shooting down 4 MiGs https://t.co/Tpytg4vCoj

— Task & Purpose (@TaskandPurpose) February 5, 2026

Williams’ case underscores broader concerns about classified operations preventing proper recognition of military valor, particularly when political considerations outweigh honoring those who risk everything defending American interests. The Medal of Honor ceremony serves not only to honor one exceptional pilot but also to remind Americans that our warriors deserve recognition regardless of diplomatic sensitivities or bureaucratic timelines. This story exemplifies how individual courage and skill can overcome superior enemy forces when American values and training meet genuine threats to national security, a lesson particularly relevant as we confront renewed challenges from adversaries who respect only strength and determination.