Donald McPherson was a United States Navy aviator in the Pacific Front in World War II, destroying five enemy Japanese aircraft.
US Navy/National WWII MuseumDonald McPherson mastered the controls of a fighter jet during the war.
After completing training at Corpus Christi, Texas, he became a Grumman F6F Hellcat pilot with the 83rd Fighter Squadron. In 1945, his unit was sent to the Pacific to serve on the aircraft carrier USS Essex during the Battle of Okinawa. There, he immediately encountered the rigors of combat operations when a kamikaze damaged the ship's radar mast during an attack on the American fleet on his second day of deployment.
“It definitely made us realize what we were getting ourselves into,” the veteran later recalled.
His mission was to protect the fleet from enemy attacks. On one mission, McPherson spotted two Japanese planes flying low and attacked. After destroying the first, he performed a sharp vertical maneuver (wing-over), then turned and hit the second.
“My Hellcat responded well to full throttle. After a burst, the target exploded,” he said in a Fagen Fighters WWII memorial video. “I immediately maneuvered to avoid a counterattack.”
After landing, the pilot realized how close he was to death.
Fagen Fighters WWII Museum/FacebookA veteran visits the aviation museum in 2024.
The couple had four children. According to his obituary, he worked as a farmer and mailman for most of his life. In his spare time, he worked in woodworking, metalworking, hunting, fishing, and was a member of the Methodist community, scouts, and veterans' organizations. He also helped organize local baseball and softball leagues.
While military achievements were important, faith always came first.
“On my father's list of things he wanted to be remembered for… faith was at the top of the list,” daughter Beth Delabar told the Beatrice Daily Sun.
Donald MacPherson has died at the age of 103. His family says his path was “the perfect balance of work and passion.”
After learning about the death of the last American ace, you can learn shocking facts about the scale of World War II or see touching photos of a frontline Christmas.
Sourse: www.allthatsinteresting.com
