Captain David McCampbell: US Navy's WWII Ace of Aces

Welcome back everyone.  In this episode of Duty & Valor, you’ll hear the story of a man who fell in love with flying at an early age.  A man whose military service was in question during the Great Depression.  A man who is the only American to achieve five or more aerial victories in a day on two separate occasions.  This is the story of Medal of Honor recipient US Navy Captain David McCampbell.  

David was born on January 16th, 1910 in Bessemer, AL to parents Andrew and Elizabth McCampbell.  His family eventually moved to West Palm Beach, FL when he was 10.  Around this time, David’s grandfather bought a surplus WWI Curtiss Jenny and took him along for many flights where his love for flying began.  He attended high school at the Staunton Military Academy in Virginia.  He was an accomplished swimmer and after graduating, he majored in engineering at Georgia Tech.  He was only there for one year when his father had to close the family’s furniture store in FL due to the impact of the great depression.  Not wanting to burden his family financially for his college costs, David applied to and was selected to attend the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.  He went on to graduate in 1933 with a degree in marine engineering.

The timing of his graduation was not good for his Naval career.  With the nation still suffering from the impacts of the Great Depression, he wasn’t offered a commission as an officer.  The Navy didn’t have the funding to take on all new academy graduates.  They only offered half of the graduating class a commission and the other half were honorably discharged.  He then tried to join the Army as a pilot, but was turned down due to his eyesight.  David then took on construction and manufacturing jobs to make ends meet before receiving a commission in the Navy Reserve as an ensign the following year.

His first duty assignment was aboard the USS Portland from June 1934 to 1937.  After meeting the two years at sea requirement he applied for and was accepted for flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola and he officially became a naval aviator in April 1938 when he received his wings of gold. 

David was then assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ranger where he was a landing signal officer, or LSO.  LSO’s are aviators who use hand signals to guide landing aircraft safely onto the deck of a carrier.  In May of 1940, he was then transferred to the USS Wasp and served as an LSO there as well.  He remained on the USS Wasp until Sept. 15th, 1942.  On that day, he was walking across the flight deck in the early afternoon when the Wasp was struck by three of the six torpedoes fired from the Japanese submarine I-19.   The Wasp eventually sank but luckily, after fours at sea, David was one of the 1,946 survivors that were rescued by the cruisers Helena and Salt Lake.  

He then returned to Florida where he was promoted to lieutenant commander and served as an LSO instructor at Naval Air Station Melbourne.

In Sept. 1943, he became the commanding officer of fighter squadron 15, known as the Fabled Fifteen, and early the following year he was promoted to commander of the entire Air Group 15 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex.  In April of that year, the Essex entered the combat zone in the Pacific and the Air Group began flying combat missions and the following month, David was promoted to commander.  

On June 19th, 1944, commander McCampbell, who was flying an F6F Hellcat, shot down five Yokosuka Judy dive bombers during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.  This battle was given the nickname of the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot as the US downed a disproportionate number of Japanese aircraft compared to what they lost.  With the five planes shot down, he earned the title of “Ace in a Day”, which is given to a pilot who has five aerial victories in one day.  But commander McCampbell wasn’t done.  Later that day he went out on a second sortie and he downed two more Japanese aircraft, both A6M Zekes.

A few months later on October 24, 1944 the Essex was in support of the Battle of Leyte Gulf when commander McCampbell became a legend.  Radar picked up a large number of Japanese aircraft flying in the direction of the battle group.  As they had to scramble quickly, commander McCampbell’s Hellcat was only partially fueled when he took off along with only six other fighter aircraft.  Once in the air, he gave the order for five of the pilots to attack the 20 incoming bombers, while he and wingman Ensign Roy Rushing flew towards the forty Japanese fighter aircraft that were in support of the attack.

During the ensuing 90 minute battle, Ensign Rushing shot down six enemy fighters and McCambell shot down nine more.  These nine aerial victories gave him the distinction of being the only American to achieve the “Ace in a Day” twice.  It also set the American single mission aerial victory record. 

The actions of the seven Navy aviators disrupted the Japanese attack.   No enemy aircraft made it close enough to attack the fleet and the surviving Japanese aircraft abandoned their mission.  

When commander McCampbell returned to the Essex, he observed that the flight deck was full of planes and it would take them at least 20 minutes to clear them so he could land.  However, he was extremely low on fuel and didn’t have that much time.  

He flew to another aircraft carrier, the USS Langley to attempt to land.  He was able to put his Hellcat down just as its engine sputtered to a stop as it was now completely out of fuel.  The crew of the Langley had to push his aircraft out of the landing area as it had no power of its own.  In his own words, commander McCampbell said that the mechanic that re-armed the plane told him that there were “exactly six rounds left in his starboard gun and they were all jammed.  But it worked out all right”.  

It's amazing to think that with only a few rounds left and landing as his plane consumed the last of its fuel, commander McCampbell might not have survived if he faced just one more enemy aircraft, or had to fly just minutes longer.

Commander McCampbell returned to the US as the Navy’s “Ace of Aces” and the Navy’s all-time leading ace with a total of 34 enemy aircraft shot down during the war.  The 34 victories placed him behind only US Army Air Force Majors Richard Bong and Thomas McGuire as the top aces of World War II.  

For his actions on June 19th and October 24th, 1944, Commander David McCampbell was awarded the Medal of Honor.  On January 10th, 1945, at a ceremony at the White House, President Roosevelt handed the medal to his mother who then pinned it on her son.  In addition to the Medal of Honor he also earned the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, Legion of Merit with V device for valor, the distinguished flying cross, and the air medal among many.

He went on to serve in various positions in the Navy until he retired in July 1964 at the rank of Captain. 

He returned to the Palm Beach area and passed away on June 30th, 1996 at the Veterans Affairs Nursing Home in Riviera Beach, FL. and was interred at the Arlington National Cemetery.  

Captain David McCampbell's heroism in the skies during World War II serves as an enduring source of inspiration. His unwavering courage, unmatched aerial combat skills, and relentless dedication to defending his comrades and his country embody the very essence of heroism and his legacy continues as a symbol of bravery.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Duty & Valor.

If you'd like to delve deeper into the remarkable life of Captain David McCampbell, you can find all the sources used for today’s episode in our show notes and on our website, dutyandvalor.com.

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