Donald McPherson, a naval aviator who served during World War II, scored five confirmed kills in the Pacific while flying a Grumman F6F Hellcat from the USS Essex. This earned him the title of ace, and before his death on August 14, 2025, McPherson was America’s last living ace of the war.
McPherson enlisted in the V-5 Aviation Cadet Program on January 5, 1943, after the Navy waived the two-year college requirement for aviation recruits. He was appointed as an aviation cadet on February 4, 1944, and earned his commission and wings on August 12 that same year at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.
After additional training in Florida and Illinois, McPherson reported to Naval Air Station San Diego in December 1944. On January 6, 1945, he made his first trap (arrested landing) aboard the Essex off the coast of Hawaii. Assigned to Fighter Squadron 83 (VF-83), McPherson flew his first combat patrol over the Caroline Islands on March 13.
Six days later, he took part in an attack on an airfield on the Japanese island of Kyushu, where he destroyed a Mitsubishi G4M Betty bomber on the ground. McPherson’s Hellcat was hit by anti-aircraft fire, but he made it back to Essex.
VF-83 continued to strike Japanese ground targets, but McPherson’s first aerial kills came on April 6. During a counter-kamikaze strike, McPherson shot down two Aichi D3A Val dive bombers near Kikaijima in support of the Okinawa campaign. During the engagement, VF-83 aviators shot down over 67 other enemy planes.
With two kills to his name, McPherson would add to his tally just under a month later. On May 4, McPherson intercepted a formation of Yokosuka K5Y Willow kamikaze floatplanes. After downing three of them, he became a genuine flying ace; appropriate, given his plane’s name, “Death n’ Destruction.”
By the end of the war, McPherson earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses and four Air Medals. After leaving the Navy, he returned to his hometown of Adams, Nebraska to raise a family with his wife, Thelma Johnston. The two were married on August 17, 1944, shortly after McPherson earned his wings.
Hanging up his flight suit, McPherson worked as a rural letter carrier for over 20 years and later as a farmer. He coached youth sports and served as a scout leader. In 2015, McPherson was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his service during World War II. On September 28, 2024, McPherson returned to the skies in a restored F6F Hellcat at the age of 102.
McPherson’s passing at the age of 103 marks the end of a life well-lived. He leaves behind his two daughters, one son, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren – as well as a grateful nation.
