USN Ace Alexander Vraciu on USS Lexington CV-16 in June 1944


 On June 20, 1944, Vraciu downed his 19th Japanese Plane, making him the leading US Navy ace, although he only held that title for four months.


After an extended leave in the USA that included public appearances, Vraciu returned to USS Lexington in late 1944. On December 14, 1944, his Hellcat was downed by AA fire during a mission over the Philippines. Vraciu parachuted from his plane, landing in the Tarlac province of Luzon where he was rescued by Filipino resistance fighters, who appointed him a brevet major in command of a guerrilla unit. After spending five weeks with the guerrilla fighters, Vraciu managed to join up with US military forces and return to USS Lexington.


Vraciu ended the war as the US Navy's 4th highest ace, credited with downing a total of 19 enemy aircraft and destroying 21 on the ground.


He stayed in the service after WW2 including 6 years as a test pilot. Later he was Promoted to Commander of VF-51 and won the individual gunnery championship at the US Navy's Air Weapons Meet at El Centro, California, in 1957


Retiring from the Navy in 1963, Vraciu appeared in "The Zero Killer" (2006), during season one, episode six, of the History Channel's Dogfights series.


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