Shooting down 4 MiGs in 30 minutes, the United States is afraid of detonating the veterans of the Three World Wars who have hidden secrets for half a century-Military

As early as 10 years before “Tom Cruise” was born, Royce Williams was already a “defender” in the real world.

According to a CNN News report on the 20th, on a cold November day in 1952, he shot down 4 Soviet fighter planes and became a legend that no one had heard of for more than 50 years. And just this Friday, Williams, a 97-year-old former Navy pilot, was awarded the Navy Cross in California.

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said Friday that Williams’ case stood out from all the proposals he had seen for the upgrade, emphasizing that his performance was so extraordinary that it even approached the standard for a higher medal. “The price of freedom is not low,” he said. “It comes from the sacrifice of all those who have served, and continue to serve, in our armed forces.”

On November 18, 1952, Williams flew a F9F “Panther” fighter jet in the Korean War. He took off from the US aircraft carrier USS Oriskany CV-34, and there were three other aircraft carriers performing missions in the East China Sea at the time.

The 27-year-old Williams and three other fighter pilots were ordered to carry out combat patrols over the northern tip of the Korean peninsula, and to the northeast was the Soviet Union, which supported North Korea. Due to a mechanical problem with the lead fighter plane performing the battle cruise mission, he and his wingman returned, leaving only Williams and his wingman to perform the mission. But to their surprise, seven Soviet MiG (MiG)-15 fighters flew towards them.

The alert commander ordered Williams and his wingmen to remain between the MiG and the US warship. Just as they were ordered to do so, four of the Soviet MiGs suddenly turned to Williams and opened fire. And he immediately opened fire on the trailing MiG, only to see that the opponent left the team, and the wingman chased after him. At this time, the aircraft carrier commander ordered Williams not to engage in fire with the Soviet fighters.

But Williams replied, “I’m in the middle of a firefight.” Besides, he knew that the Soviet jets were faster than his, and if he managed to fly away, they would catch him and kill him. “At that time, the MiG-15 was the top fighter in the world,” Williams said. Not only was it faster than American fighters, but it also climbed and dived faster than American fighters. Although his fighter is suitable for air-to-ground combat, it is not suitable for dogfighting in the air.

Unexpectedly, the three MiG fighters that flew away before flew back, and now he was facing not just one, but six Soviet fighters. What followed was an air battle of more than half an hour. Williams kept flipping and shuttling, trying his best to use the strengths of the F9F to compete with the Soviet fighters, and prevent the more dominant MiG fighters from locking him with their cannons.

He went about his usual drills without thinking, and so did the Soviets, but they sometimes made mistakes. A Soviet warplane flew toward him, but then stopped firing and swooped down on him, before Williams realized he might have hit it.

Williams said another MiG appeared directly in front of him, and he hit it again with cannon, causing it to disintegrate on the spot and forcing Williams to sprint to avoid the wreckage and the pilot. According to the official website of the U.S. Navy Memorial, during this mission, he fired 760 rounds of 20mm shells on board. However, the Soviets also hit Williams’ plane, disabling the rudder and wing control surfaces, leaving only the rear elevator for him to fly the plane up and down.

But Williams said that luckily, he happened to be flying towards the US carrier at this time, but there was still a Soviet fighter in hot pursuit. So he goes up and down in a roller coaster fashion, with the bullets flying above and below. At this time, Williams’ wingman rejoined him, followed the enemy plane, and scared the opponent away.

But the troubles were not over yet. At first, the U.S. was afraid of the attack of Soviet fighter planes and strengthened its air defense, mistaking Williams’ F9F for a MiG plane, and the destroyer with a knife guard opened fire on him in order to protect the aircraft carrier. Fortunately, the commander quickly stopped the incident, Williams said, which saved the day. The ensuing question is how he will get on the carrier, usually he does it at 105 knots, but he knows in his heart that if he goes slower than 170 knots, the fighter will stall and crash into the freezing sea . So the captain decided to take an astonishing move and let the aircraft carrier accommodate Williams for landing.

It worked, and he landed heavily on the deck and was intercepted by the third and final rope. According to the U.S. Naval Memorial, after the fighter plane boarded the ship, the crew on the aircraft carrier counted and found that there were 263 bullet holes on it. Because the fighter plane was in poor condition, it was pushed off the ship and “buried at sea” along the way.

And just as the “Black Panther” disappeared in the waves, the fact of the US-Soviet air war must also disappear. Though stories of Williams’ heroism made their way to the top, many top U.S. officials, including then-President Dwight Eisenhower, were eager to speak to him. After Williams went through this air battle, several senior navy generals, the secretary of defense, and the president all met him. As a result, these officials, concerned that the engagement could lead to a serious escalation of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, and even World War III, instructed him not to mention it.

On the other hand, U.S. officials were quick to keep the record of Williams’ aerial dogfight classified, and he swore to keep it secret. This means that it will take more than 50 years for his military exploits to be fully recognized. In 1953, Williams was awarded the Silver Star (Silver Star), but the commendation did not mention the Soviet fighters, only “enemy aircraft”, and there were only three of them. In fact, according to the official website of the U.S. Naval Memorial, it was not known that a fourth fighter was shot down until Russia made public records in the 1990s.

The Pentagon said Williams continued to keep details of his aerial dogfight with a Soviet MiG under wraps throughout his military career, and even decades after his retirement. Finally, the U.S. government finally told Williams that after his mission had been declassified, the first person he told was his beloved wife who was still alive at the time.

After learning about his deeds, the veterans group even said that the reward of the silver star was not enough. Some even said he deserved the Medal of Honor, the military’s highest honor. Last December, more than 70 years after the air battle, Diduro told him that the Silver Star should be upgraded to the Navy Cross. California Rep. Darrell Issa, who is working to promote the upgrade of the Williams Medal, called him an unparalleled “defender” pilot and an “unprecedented American hero.”