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Dean S. Laird

January 01, 1970

Dean Samuel "Diz" Laird (February 7, 1921 – August 10, 2022) was the only U.S. Navy ace to have combat victories in both the Pacific and European theaters of World War II.[1] He served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War,[2] and is given credit for 5.75 aerial victories.[3] Laird flew 138 fighter missions during World War II.[4] and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross[4] and the Congressional Gold Medal,[5] among other honors.

Dean S. Laird
Portrait by Edward Saenz
Birth nameDean Samuel Laird
Nickname(s)"Diz"
Born(1921-02-07)February 7, 1921
Loomis, California, U.S.
DiedAugust 10, 2022(2022-08-10) (aged 101)
Walnut Creek, California
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1942 to 1971
RankCommander
Unit
Commands heldVF-213
Battles/wars
AwardsDistinguished Flying Cross

Career edit

One week after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Laird drove to San Francisco to enlist.[2] Laird entered the U.S. Navy cadet program. On August 11, 1942, he became a commissioned officer. In NAS Miami, Florida, on October 21, 1942, he became a Naval Aviator.[6] Laird shot down 5.75 enemy aircraft in combat and he damaged an additional plane. Two of his kills were German planes: A Ju 88 and a He 115 in October 1943 near Norway. The other kills were Japanese planes so Laird has the distinction of being the only Navy ace to have scored air victories against both Germany and Japan.[6] He flew F4F Wildcat and then F6F Hellcats and was assigned from November 1942 to March 1943, to the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-4). November 1944 to March 1945 he was assigned to the USS Essex (CV-9).

In December 1944, Laird was almost shot down. His F6F Hellcat was riddled with bullets over the Philippines, but he was able to pilot the plane back to the USS Essex which was 250 miles away.[4] His landing gear did not work and Laird landed the plane skidding on its bottom across the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Essex.[7]

He received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions on February 7, 1945. Laird was escorting bomber planes which were attacking heavily defended Japanese aircraft engine factories. He shot down two Japanese planes during that mission near Tokyo, Japan.[4][8]

When Laird was 93 years old, he was one of 35 Aces to travel to the nation's capital and receive the Congressional Gold Medal recognizing the 1,450 Aces from all of the wars.[5]

Film edit

In 1969, Laird was a stunt pilot. He performed many of the stunts in the 20th Century Fox film Tora! Tora! Tora!;[9] he helped choreograph the reenactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor and was the lead stunt pilot.[5] He was one of the three main pilots in the film and he flew approximately 164 hours during production.[10]

Personal life and death edit

Laird was born in Loomis, California,[7] and grew up in Northern California. In 1958 he moved to Coronado, where he co-owned and operated the Coronado Municipal Golf Course restaurant; in 2015 he moved back north to Walnut Creek to be close to his daughter and her family.[11] He turned 100 in February 2021,[12] and died on August 10, 2022, at the age of 101.[11][13]

Awards edit

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
    
Naval Aviator Badge
Distinguished Flying Cross[4][3]
Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal
w/ four 5⁄16" Gold Stars 		Navy Presidential Unit Citation
w/ two 3⁄16" Bronze Stars
China Service Medal American Campaign Medal European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
w/ one 3⁄16" Bronze Star
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
w/ three 3⁄16" Bronze Stars 		World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medal
w/ one 3⁄16" Bronze Star
Korean Service Medal
w/ two 3⁄16" Bronze Stars 		United Nations Korea Medal Korean War Service Medal

Affiliations edit

He was a member of the American Fighter Aces Association,[1] the Distinguished Flying Cross Society,[3] and the Tailhook Association.[10] The "QB" pilots association.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "The Last American Aces". Air and Space magazine. August 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Brinkley, Leslie (October 23, 2018). "Local 97-year-old ace pilot getting national Audie Murphy award". ABC. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Carlson, Mark (May 4, 2018). "An Ace in the Hole: 'Diz' Laird". HistoryNet. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Walnut Creek: World War II fighter pilots describe exhilaration of flying". MediaNews Group. August 15, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d Achelis, Scott; Laird Achelis, Andrea (February 3, 2016). "Coronado's 'Avenue Of The Heroes' – Commander Dean 'Diz' Laird, USN Retired". Coronado Eagle & Journal. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Dean S. Laird". Veteran Tributes. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Rowe, Peter; Wilkens, John (October 27, 2012). "WWII pilot defeated German and Japanese foes". Hartford Courant. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  8. ^ "Dean Samuel Laird". Military Times. Sightline Media Group. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  9. ^ Bayas, Paolo (July 9, 2016). "Legendary Ace Flies His 100th Aircraft in "the Birthplace of Naval Aviation"". Official Website of the United States Navy. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Dean S. Laird, CDR, USN (Ret.) "Diz"" (PDF). epnaao. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Umanzor, Joel (September 23, 2022) [September 22, 2022]. "Here's why fighter jets were circling Bay Area skies". San Francisco Chronicle.
  12. ^ Robbins, Gary (June 29, 2022). "Famed WWII fighter pilots, now 100 and 101, to get final rides in the sky". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  13. ^ "The San Diego Air & Space Museum Remembers World War II Ace Dean 'Diz' Laird – the "Quintessential Fighter Pilot"". San Diego Air & Space Museum. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  14. ^ 113th Congress. "H.R.685 – American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act". Congress.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved July 22, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Vogt, Tom (February 8, 2016). "Off Beat: WWII pilot one of the faces of America's fighter aces". The Columbian. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  16. ^ "American Valor: A Salute to Our Heroes" (PDF). 2018 AVC Conference Program. American Veterans Center. October 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2020.

Further reading edit

External links edit

  • Dean Diz Laird
  • Commander Laird was recognized as part of the AVC’s Emmy-winning television special American Valor: A Salute to Our Heroes
  • Negative Diz, the Pattern is Full

January 01, 1970
dean, laird, dean, samuel, laird, february, 1921, august, 2022, only, navy, have, combat, victories, both, pacific, european, theaters, world, served, world, korean, vietnam, given, credit, aerial, victories, laird, flew, fighter, missions, during, world, awar. Dean Samuel Diz Laird February 7 1921 August 10 2022 was the only U S Navy ace to have combat victories in both the Pacific and European theaters of World War II 1 He served in World War II the Korean War and the Vietnam War 2 and is given credit for 5 75 aerial victories 3 Laird flew 138 fighter missions during World War II 4 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross 4 and the Congressional Gold Medal 5 among other honors Dean S LairdPortrait by Edward SaenzBirth nameDean Samuel LairdNickname s Diz Born 1921 02 07 February 7 1921Loomis California U S DiedAugust 10 2022 2022 08 10 aged 101 Walnut Creek CaliforniaAllegianceUnited StatesService wbr branchUnited States NavyYears of service1942 to 1971RankCommanderUnitVF 4 VF 200Commands heldVF 213Battles warsWorld War II Korean War Vietnam WarAwardsDistinguished Flying Cross Contents 1 Career 1 1 Film 2 Personal life and death 3 Awards 3 1 Affiliations 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksCareer editOne week after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941 Laird drove to San Francisco to enlist 2 Laird entered the U S Navy cadet program On August 11 1942 he became a commissioned officer In NAS Miami Florida on October 21 1942 he became a Naval Aviator 6 Laird shot down 5 75 enemy aircraft in combat and he damaged an additional plane Two of his kills were German planes A Ju 88 and a He 115 in October 1943 near Norway The other kills were Japanese planes so Laird has the distinction of being the only Navy ace to have scored air victories against both Germany and Japan 6 He flew F4F Wildcat and then F6F Hellcats and was assigned from November 1942 to March 1943 to the aircraft carrier USS Ranger CV 4 November 1944 to March 1945 he was assigned to the USS Essex CV 9 In December 1944 Laird was almost shot down His F6F Hellcat was riddled with bullets over the Philippines but he was able to pilot the plane back to the USS Essex which was 250 miles away 4 His landing gear did not work and Laird landed the plane skidding on its bottom across the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Essex 7 He received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions on February 7 1945 Laird was escorting bomber planes which were attacking heavily defended Japanese aircraft engine factories He shot down two Japanese planes during that mission near Tokyo Japan 4 8 When Laird was 93 years old he was one of 35 Aces to travel to the nation s capital and receive the Congressional Gold Medal recognizing the 1 450 Aces from all of the wars 5 Film edit In 1969 Laird was a stunt pilot He performed many of the stunts in the 20th Century Fox film Tora Tora Tora 9 he helped choreograph the reenactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor and was the lead stunt pilot 5 He was one of the three main pilots in the film and he flew approximately 164 hours during production 10 Personal life and death editLaird was born in Loomis California 7 and grew up in Northern California In 1958 he moved to Coronado where he co owned and operated the Coronado Municipal Golf Course restaurant in 2015 he moved back north to Walnut Creek to be close to his daughter and her family 11 He turned 100 in February 2021 12 and died on August 10 2022 at the age of 101 11 13 Awards edit nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Naval Aviator Badge Distinguished Flying Cross 4 3 Meritorious Service Medal Air Medalw four 5 16 Gold Stars Navy Presidential Unit Citationw two 3 16 Bronze Stars China Service Medal American Campaign Medal European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medalw one 3 16 Bronze Star Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medalw three 3 16 Bronze Stars World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medalw one 3 16 Bronze Star Korean Service Medalw two 3 16 Bronze Stars United Nations Korea Medal Korean War Service Medal Congressional Gold Medal 2015 5 14 15 Audie Murphy award presented by the American Veterans Center 16 Affiliations edit He was a member of the American Fighter Aces Association 1 the Distinguished Flying Cross Society 3 and the Tailhook Association 10 The QB pilots association See also editList of World War II aces from the United States List of World War II flying aces 3 References edit a b The Last American Aces Air and Space magazine August 2015 Retrieved July 22 2020 a b Brinkley Leslie October 23 2018 Local 97 year old ace pilot getting national Audie Murphy award ABC Retrieved July 23 2020 a b c d Carlson Mark May 4 2018 An Ace in the Hole Diz Laird HistoryNet Retrieved July 23 2020 a b c d e Walnut Creek World War II fighter pilots describe exhilaration of flying MediaNews Group August 15 2016 Retrieved July 23 2020 a b c d Achelis Scott Laird Achelis Andrea February 3 2016 Coronado s Avenue Of The Heroes Commander Dean Diz Laird USN Retired Coronado Eagle amp Journal Retrieved July 23 2020 a b Dean S Laird Veteran Tributes Retrieved July 23 2020 a b Rowe Peter Wilkens John October 27 2012 WWII pilot defeated German and Japanese foes Hartford Courant Retrieved July 23 2020 Dean Samuel Laird Military Times Sightline Media Group Retrieved July 23 2020 Bayas Paolo July 9 2016 Legendary Ace Flies His 100th Aircraft in the Birthplace of Naval Aviation Official Website of the United States Navy Retrieved July 23 2020 a b Dean S Laird CDR USN Ret Diz PDF epnaao Retrieved July 23 2020 a b Umanzor Joel September 23 2022 September 22 2022 Here s why fighter jets were circling Bay Area skies San Francisco Chronicle Robbins Gary June 29 2022 Famed WWII fighter pilots now 100 and 101 to get final rides in the sky San Diego Union Tribune Retrieved July 4 2022 The San Diego Air amp Space Museum Remembers World War II Ace Dean Diz Laird the Quintessential Fighter Pilot San Diego Air amp Space Museum Retrieved August 13 2022 113th Congress H R 685 American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act Congress gov Library of Congress Retrieved July 22 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Vogt Tom February 8 2016 Off Beat WWII pilot one of the faces of America s fighter aces The Columbian Retrieved July 22 2020 American Valor A Salute to Our Heroes PDF 2018 AVC Conference Program American Veterans Center October 2018 Retrieved August 10 2020 Further reading editHammel Eric 2010 1992 Aces Against Japan New York Pocket Books ISBN 978 1 890988 08 1 ISBN 0 671 52908 0 Hammel Eric 1998 Aces in Combat The American Aces Speak Vol 5 Pacifica California Pacifica Military History ISBN 0 935553 61 4 ISBN 978 0 935553 61 1 Tillman Barrett 1996 Hellcat Aces of World War 2 London Osprey Publishing ISBN 1 85532 596 9 ISBN 978 1 85532 596 8 Tillman Barrett 1979 Hellcat The F6F in World War II 1st ed Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 978 1 55750 991 8 ISBN 1 55750 991 3 External links editDean Diz Laird Commander Laird was recognized as part of the AVC s Emmy winning television special American Valor A Salute to Our Heroes Negative Diz the Pattern is Full Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dean S Laird amp oldid 1210993796, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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