More than 70 years after Royce Williams shot down 4 Soviet planes, he is being recognized with one of the United States military’s highest combat honors.
Escondido resident Royce Williams, who is now 97 years old, was sworn to secrecy about one of the most epic days of his life.
It was 1952, during the Korean War, when then-Lieutenant Williams, a Navy pilot, was sent on a combat air patrol with three other naval aviators when they encountered seven hostile Soviet MiG-15s. Williams shot at the MiGs, and after they reconfigured, he realized he was the lone American left in the fight. Despite being outnumbered, Williams was able to shoot four of the MiGs down before returning to safety on an aircraft carrier. After the mission, he counted 263 bullet holes in his own plane.
“If we don't recognize the valor of our soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen sooner or later, then we miss the opportunity to thank them for their service,” Issa said. Ultimately, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro approved upgrading Williams’ award to a Navy Cross, one of the highest awards for combat valor in the United States military.
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