David McCampbell; Navy’s All-Time Ace With 34 Victories

David McCampbell, the Navy’s all-time leading ace with 34 aerial victories during World War II, has died at 86.

McCampbell, who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the end of the war, died Sunday at the nearby Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

“He was the ace of aces,” said Jim Gregory, a fellow World War II veteran who led the campaign to have a $157-million terminal at Palm Beach International Airport named after him in 1988.

In 1944, McCampbell was commander of Air Group 15, in charge of fighters, bombers and torpedo bombers aboard the aircraft carrier Essex. His squadron experienced almost six months of continuous combat and participated in two major air-sea battles.

McCampbell’s 34 victories made him the nation’s fourth leading ace of all time after three Air Force pilots: Maj. Richard I. Bong, 40 kills; Maj. Thomas McGuire, 38, and Col. Francis S. Gabreski, 34.5. Victories are divided if more than one pilot is credited with shooting down a plane.

In addition to the nation’s highest military honor, McCampbell’s awards included the Navy Cross, the Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross.