“You are a true American hero and I offer you my most sincere thanks and congratulations to you, sir.” “Your grit and bravery are simply astounding,” he said in a video recording. Williams shot down four Soviet jets in 30 minutes in 1952. Tom Cruise, who played the fictional Maverick in the “Top Gun” series, congratulated the American hero for his award. The award came after decades of Williams abiding by a promise to keep his mouth shut-even among friends and family-about this brief yet striking moment of aerial combat, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported in 2022. Williams, 97, who retired in 1975, on Friday received the Navy Cross, the service’s second-highest award for military honor. Navy pilot Royce Williams engaged in possibly the longest solo aerial dogfight against four Soviet jets, shooting down the enemy planes in less than 30 minutes, KUSI reported. This real-life Korean War “Top Gun” kept his war story secret for 50 years. Navy SEALs training plagued by pervasive problems, according to investigation after death of sailorĬhina blows up US Navy’s largest warship in menacing simulation: ‘Destroyed with certainty’ Veterans decry long delay in payments over Camp Lejeune’s toxic water DeSantis chides ‘woke military’ in Memorial Day interview, vows transformation if elected
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