Frederick Rounsville Payne Jr. (July 31, 1911 – August 6, 2015) was a World War II Ace[1] and a brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps. Payne was awarded the Navy Cross for service with VMF-212.[1]
Frederick R. Payne Jr. | |
|---|---|
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| Nickname | Fritz |
| Born | July 31, 1911 Elmira, New York, United States |
| Died | August 6, 2015 (aged 104) Rancho Mirage, California, United States |
| Allegiance | United States |
Branch | United States Marine Corps |
Service years | 1935–1958 |
Rank | Brigadier general |
Conflicts | World War II Korean War |
| Awards | |
| Other work | Southern California Edison (1958–1976) |
Education
editHe attended the United States Naval Academy from 1930 to 1932 and subsequently graduated from the University of Arizona in 1935.[1][2][3][4]
Career
editPayne was awarded the Navy Cross for service with VMF-212 on Guadalcanal between September and October 1942, shooting down six Japanese airplanes.[1] After the war, he continued his service with U.S. Marines and fought in the Korean war until he retired from U.S. Marines in 1958. In his post-military career, Payne helped plan the construction of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, He retired from Southern California Edison in 1976. He was also honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in May 2015. Payne died six days after his 104th birthday on August 6, 2015, at Rancho Mirage, California; at the time of his death he was the oldest living former fighter ace.[5]
Awards
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| Naval Aviator Badge | ||
| Navy Cross | Legion of Merit w/ Combat "V" |
Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Air Medal w/ 5⁄16" silver star |
Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 3⁄16" bronze star |
Navy Unit Commendation |
| American Defense Service Medal w/ fleet clasp |
American Campaign Medal | Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal w/ one 3⁄16" silver star and two 3⁄16 bronze stars |
| World War II Victory Medal | National Defense Service Medal | Korean Service Medal w/ two 3⁄16 bronze stars |
| Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation | United Nations Service Medal Korea | Korean War Service Medal (retroactive) |
- Congressional Gold Medal (2015)[6]
Navy Cross citation
edit
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Major Frederick Rounsville Payne, Jr., United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession while serving as a Pilot in Marine Fighting Squadron TWO HUNDRED TWELVE (VMF-212), Marine Air Group TWENTY-THREE (MAG-23), FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing, in aerial combat against enemy Japanese forces over Guadalcanal, in the Solomons Islands Area during September and October 1942. Throughout that strenuous period when the island airfield was under constant bombardment and our precarious ground positions were menaced by the desperate counter thrusts of a fanatical foe, Major Payne repeatedly patrolled hostile territory and intercepted enemy bombing flights. With bold determination and courageous disregard of personal safety, he pressed home numerous attacks against heavily escorted waves of invading bombers and, in five vigorous fights against tremendous odds, shot down a total of six Japanese planes. His superb flying skill and dauntless initiative were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Personal
editHe came from a military family: his father served in the Spanish–American War after graduating from the United States Naval Academy and World War I. He was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana and he also attended the Naval Academy. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and became a pilot. He was married to Dorothy and had three children: Son, Robert Payne, Son, Dewitt, and daughter, Ann Wilson Payne.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 "Valor awards for Frederick Rounsville Payne Jr". militarytimes.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ↑ "A Salute to Our Oldest Alumni". Feature. United States Naval Academy. July 9, 2012. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Major Frederick R. Payne Jr. USMC". 475th.org. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Fritz Payne US Marine Corp Ace of World War Two". garfieldsteamhouse.org. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ↑ Chawkins, Steve (August 12, 2015). "Brig. Gen. Frederick Payne Jr. dies at 104; Marine fighter ace in WWII". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ↑ 113th Congress (23 May 2014). "H.R.685 - American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act". Congress.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ Roberts, Sam (21 August 2015). "Frederick Payne, Decorated Fighter Ace in the Pacific, Dies at 104". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
Further reading
edit- Hammel, Eric (2010) [First published 1992]. Aces Against Japan. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-189098808-1.
- Hammel, Eric (1998). Aces in Combat: The American Aces Speak. Vol. 5. Pacifica, California: Pacifica Military History. ISBN 093555361-4.
- Tillman, Barrett (1996). Hellcat Aces of World War 2. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 185532596-9.
- Tillman, Barrett (1979). Hellcat: The F6F in World War II (1st ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-155750991-8.