America's last WWII 'ace' pilot dies at 103
Donald McPherson earned the Congressional Gold Medal and three Distinguished Flying Crosses during his service as a US Navy Pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex in the final battles of World War II.
唐纳德·麦克弗森 (Donald McPherson) 在第二次世界大战的最后一场战斗中，作为美国海军飞行员在埃塞克斯号航空母舰上服役期间，获得了国会金质奖章和三枚杰出飞行十字勋章。
Donald McPherson , believed to be America’s last surviving “ace” from World War II, passed away on August 14, 2025.
唐纳德·麦克弗森 (Donald McPherson) 被认为是二战中美国最后一位幸存的“王牌”，于 2025 年 8 月 14 日去世。
He was 103 years old.
他已经103岁了。
McPherson earned the Congressional Gold Medal and three Distinguished Flying Crosses during his service as a US Navy pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex in the final battles of World War II.
麦克弗森在第二次世界大战的最后一场战斗中，作为美国海军飞行员在埃塞克斯号航空母舰上服役期间，获得了国会金质奖章和三枚杰出飞行十字勋章。
McPherson enlisted on January 5, 1943, after the Navy waived a two-year college requirement for its aviation cadet training program.
1943 年 1 月 5 日，海军放弃航空学员培训计划的两年大学要求后，麦克弗森入伍。
He earned his commission and wings at Corpus Christi, Texas, on August 12, 1944.
1944 年 8 月 12 日，他在得克萨斯州科珀斯克里斯蒂获得了委任状和翅膀。
He was assigned to fly a Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter and was a part of Fighter Squadron 83 when it was transferred to the USS Essex in March 1945, during the battle for Okinawa.
他被指派驾驶一架格鲁曼 F6F“地狱猫”战斗机，并在 1945 年 3 月冲绳岛战役期间将其转移到埃塞克斯号航空母舰时，成为第 83 战斗机中队的一员。
On his second evening aboard the Essex, McPherson recalled watching Japanese kamikaze bombers based on Kyushu in southern Japan attack the fleet.
登上埃塞克斯号的第二天晚上，麦克弗森回忆起目睹日本神风特攻队轰炸机以日本南部九州为基地攻击舰队的情景。
One bomber clipped the Essex’s radar tower before crashing into a nearby island.
一架轰炸机撞毁了埃塞克斯号的雷达塔，然后坠入附近的一座岛屿。
Another bomber seriously damaged the USS Hancock.
另一架轰炸机严重损坏了汉考克号航空母舰。
“This sure made us wonder what we had gotten ourselves in for,” McPherson recalled.
“这确实让我们想知道我们自己陷入了什么境地，”麦克弗森回忆道。
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McPherson completed his first combat mission – a 300-mile flight to strike on an airfield at Nittigahara – on March 19, 1945.
1945 年 3 月 19 日，麦克弗森完成了他的第一次战斗任务——飞行 300 英里，袭击尼蒂加哈拉机场。
During the raid, his division, known as “Wonder-5” destroyed Mitsubishi G4M ‘Betty’ bombers on the ground.
在这次突袭中，他的“Wonder-5”师摧毁了地面上的三菱 G4M“贝蒂”轰炸机。
As he was pulling out from the attack, his plane’s engine stalled, and it was struck by anti-aircraft fire.
当他从攻击中撤出时，他的飞机发动机熄火，并被防空火力击中。
McPherson was able to fly the plane back and successfully land on the USS Essex.
麦克弗森成功驾驶飞机返回并成功降落在埃塞克斯号航空母舰上。
“Upon inspection of the damage to the airplane, we found that a 20mm cannon shell had penetrated the fuselage about a foot behind my back and severed one of the cables that controlled the tail surface,” he recalled.
“在检查飞机的损坏情况后，我们发现一发 20 毫米炮弹在我背后约一英尺处穿透了机身，并切断了控制尾翼表面的一根电缆，”他回忆道。
Between March and June 1945, VF-83 flew 6,560 sorties from the Essex.
1945 年 3 月至 6 月期间，VF-83 从埃塞克斯号起飞了 6,560 架次。
McPherson’s group was credited with destroying 220 Japanese planes in the air and 72 on the ground.
麦克弗森的团队被认为在空中击落了 220 架日本飞机，在地面上击落了 72 架日本飞机。
McPherson would become an ace after shooting down two Aichi D3A Val dive bombers near Kikai Shima off Okinawa on April 6, 1945.
1945 年 4 月 6 日，麦克弗森在冲绳近海岛附近击落两架爱知 D3A Val 俯冲轰炸机，从此成为王牌飞行员。
He would go on to destroy three Kawanishi E7k float biplanes, which were flying as kamikazes, on May 5, 1945.
1945 年 5 月 5 日，他继续摧毁了三架以神风特攻队形式飞行的川西 E7k 浮动双翼飞机。
McPherson was able to marry the "love of his life" Thelma Johnston, on August 17, 1944, after completing his training.
1944 年 8 月 17 日，在完成训练后，麦克弗森与“一生挚爱”塞尔玛·约翰斯顿结婚。
After the war, he returned home to Adams, Nebraska, to work as a letter carrier.
战后，他回到内布拉斯加州亚当斯的家中，担任邮递员。
He is survived by his two daughters, a son, along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
他身后留下了两个女儿、一个儿子以及许多孙子和曾孙。
McPherson was an active member of the Adams United Methodist Church, as well as the local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
麦克弗森是亚当斯联合卫理公会以及当地美国军团和海外战争退伍军人的活跃成员。
He also served as organizer, promoter, and coach for the Adams Summer Baseball and Softball leagues.
他还担任亚当斯夏季棒球和垒球联赛的组织者、发起人和教练。
The Associated Press reports that the community later named the ballfield McPherson Field in honor of him and his wife.
据美联社报道，社区后来将球场命名为麦克弗森球场，以纪念他和他的妻子。
Hammel, Eric M.
哈梅尔，埃里克·M.
1998.
1998.
The American Aces Speak .
美国王牌讲话。
Novato, CA: Presidio.
加利福尼亚州诺瓦托：Presidio。
Kevin Dupuy is a National Edward R.
凯文·杜普伊 (Kevin Dupuy) 是爱德华·R·国民 (National Edward R.
Murrow Award-winning producer and Director of Digital Content at The National WWII Museum.
默罗奖获奖制作人兼国家二战博物馆数字内容总监。
Initially, hell ships moved Allied POWs to areas where their labor was needed, such as the Japanese main islands and other recently conquered regions, but later, they also moved prisoners to prevent them from being liberated by advancing Allied forces.
最初，地狱船将盟军战俘转移到需要他们劳动力的地区，例如日本主岛和其他最近征服的地区，但后来，它们也转移囚犯，以防止他们被前进的盟军解放。
A product of post Great War naval treaties and launched amid rising global tensions, the USS New Orleans forged a bond with its namesake city in the years before World War II
新奥尔良号航空母舰是一战后海军条约的产物，在全球紧张局势不断升级的情况下下水，在第二次世界大战前的几年里与同名城市建立了联系
Not only was the vessel a hometown hero, the USS New Orleans also participated in almost every major campaign against Japan.
新奥尔良号航空母舰不仅是家乡英雄，而且还参加了几乎所有对日重大战役。
And when faced with great tragedy, she always bounced back, much like the people of New Orleans did after disasters such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
当面对巨大的悲剧时，她总是能振作起来，就像新奥尔良人民在 2005 年卡特里娜飓风等灾难之后所做的那样。
American soldiers liberated the concentration camp at Buchenwald on April 11, 1945, and were profoundly shaken by what they discovered.
1945 年 4 月 11 日，美国士兵解放了布痕瓦尔德 (Buchenwald) 集中营，他们的发现深深震撼了他们。
One of the last living survivors of the December 7, 1941, attack, Schab was serving as a musician and sailor aboard the USS Dobbin when Japanese planes struck Pearl Harbor.
沙布是 1941 年 12 月 7 日袭击事件中最后的幸存者之一，当日本飞机袭击珍珠港时，他正在多宾号航空母舰上担任音乐家和水手。
Although the attack on the USS Panay did not ignite a war between the United States and Japan, it marked a turning point in their relationship.
尽管班乃号遭到袭击并没有引发美日之间的战争，但这标志着两国关系的转折点。
Though the Aleutian Tigers have largely faded from public memory of World War II, their legacy lives on in both Alaskan historical sites and in the preserved or restored P-40s of the 343rd that still bear their iconic yellow tigers.
尽管阿留申虎队已基本从第二次世界大战的公众记忆中消失，但他们的遗产仍然存在于阿拉斯加的历史遗址和保存或修复的第 343 团的 P-40 中，这些飞机上仍保留着其标志性的黄虎。
Even though he grew up surrounded by WWII veterans in his small Arkansas town, Rod Fortner knew very little about where his dad served and what he had experienced as a young Marine.
尽管罗德·福特纳在阿肯色州的小镇上长大，周围都是二战老兵，但他对父亲在哪里服役以及他作为一名年轻海军陆战队员的经历知之甚少。
945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 info@nationalww2museum.org 504-528-1944
945 Magazine Street, 新奥尔良, LA 70130 info@nationalww2museum.org 504-528-1944