Ace fighter pilot, Medal of Honor recipient dies, age 86 - Aircraft of World War II

evangilder · 11-28-2007, 12:24 PM

Quote:

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Retired Marine Col. Jefferson DeBlanc Sr., an ace fighter pilot who won the Medal of Honor during World War II, is dead at the age of 86.

DeBlanc, of St. Martinville, died Thursday at Lafayette General Medical Center, of complications of pneumonia.

His funeral Mass was scheduled at noon Monday at at St. Martin de Tours Roman Catholic Church in St. Martinville, with visitation Sunday afternoon and evening and Monday morning at Pellerin Funeral Home, also in St. Martinville.

DeBlanc was awarded Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor for bravery, for his actions during a bombing raid against the Japanese in the Solomon Islands on Jan. 31, 1943.

A lieutenant barely in his 20s, he was in charge of the six planes providing air cover.

In an F4F Grumman Wildcat, he downed two Japanese float planes and one fighter before heading back for the Naval base at Henderson Field. But he spotted two more Japanese planes coming up behind the bombers.

Because all six fighters were low on fuel, Henderson ordered the rest of his flight group back to base. He took on and shot down the two enemy aircraft alone, though it was unlikely he would have enough fuel to make it back safely.

His plane was hit, and DeBlanc parachuted into the ocean and swam all night to reach Kolombarangara Island.

There, he was captured by local tribesmen and bartered to a friendly tribe for a sack of rice.

He was eventually picked up by a Navy float plane and reunited with his squadron.

DeBlanc was decorated several times for his service in the war before and after that engagement.

He said in a 1998 interview that after he had shot down the five planes, he stopped to look at his watch, which flew off his hand a split-second later when his instrument panel exploded in his face.

He said in 1998 that he used a Japanese uniform stolen from a barge and traveled by night to reach a place where U.S. forces could be contacted and pick him up.

DeBlanc recovered from his wounds and went on to see action in several other campaigns in the war.

After the war, he returned to St. Martinville. He was a school teacher and administrator, and retired from the Marine Corps Reserve in 1972.

Ace fighter pilot, Medal of Honor recipient dies, age 86 - NewsFlash - NOLA.com

Youtube videos of him on "Dogfights"
YouTube - Jefferson DeBlanc, Coon-Ace Dogfights: Guadalcanal 1 of 2
YouTube - Jefferson DeBlanc, Coon-Ace ! Dogfights: Guadalcanal 2 of 2

syscom3 · 11-28-2007, 12:33 PM

RIP!

FLYBOYJ · 11-28-2007, 12:33 PM

Gnomey · 11-28-2007, 12:35 PM

ccheese · 11-28-2007, 12:36 PM

Charles

Njaco · 11-28-2007, 01:18 PM

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 11-28-2007, 01:30 PM

lesofprimus · 11-28-2007, 04:40 PM

Man, bad news... I met Mr DeBlanc waaay back when in 82 or 83... Hell of a nice guy, real class... He will be missed...

Bf109_g · 11-28-2007, 04:49 PM

Downwind.Maddl-Land · 11-28-2007, 05:05 PM

These types were always Nice Guys in my experience. God speed and RIP

ToughOmbre · 11-28-2007, 07:11 PM

Sgt. Pappy · 11-30-2007, 01:52 PM

Yes, it did, in fact, take me this long to figure out how to salute.
I also dedicate this in memory of those who have been forgotten (and those I have not been able to salute).

Black Magic · 12-01-2007, 10:44 AM

S.

Hollywood · 12-01-2007, 03:56 PM

GOD BLESS the family and friends of a True American Hero in his time of passing.........It scares me to think how fast we are losing these guys that saved our way of life during WW2. I've sat for hours at our local small airport listening to stories of the combat faced daily and it seems to me that the nicest guys seem to be the ones that faced the most adversity in combat and although they don't usually talk about it much, when they do every ear is cocked their way........

Lucky13 · 12-03-2007, 08:13 AM

11-28-2007, 12:33 PM	#2
syscom3 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 10,283	RIP! __________________ "Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?"

11-28-2007, 12:33 PM	#3
FLYBOYJ IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 16,051	__________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"

11-28-2007, 12:35 PM	#4
Gnomey "World Traveller" Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 15,224	__________________ "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr

11-28-2007, 12:36 PM	#5
ccheese Older Than Dirt Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia Posts: 7,309	Charles __________________ I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either....

11-28-2007, 01:18 PM	#6
Njaco The Pop-Tart Whisperer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Jersey, United States Posts: 10,236	__________________ "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it's English, thank a soldier!" http://www.njcacoa.org/

11-28-2007, 01:30 PM	#7
DerAdlerIstGelandet Der Crewchief Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany Posts: 33,152	__________________ fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I]

11-28-2007, 04:40 PM	#8
lesofprimus Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi Posts: 17,503	Man, bad news... I met Mr DeBlanc waaay back when in 82 or 83... Hell of a nice guy, real class... He will be missed... __________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk

11-28-2007, 04:49 PM	#9
Bf109_g Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Zealand Posts: 634	__________________

11-28-2007, 05:05 PM	#10
Downwind.Maddl-Land Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: York, England Posts: 267	These types were always Nice Guys in my experience. God speed and RIP

11-28-2007, 07:11 PM	#11
ToughOmbre Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,233	__________________ *“Let's get Enterprise* and Hornet turned into the wind."**

11-30-2007, 01:52 PM	#12
Sgt. Pappy Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 174	Yes, it did, in fact, take me this long to figure out how to salute. I also dedicate this in memory of those who have been forgotten (and those I have not been able to salute). __________________ "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few..." - Winston Churchill

12-01-2007, 10:44 AM	#13
Black Magic Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: England Posts: 18	S. __________________ Stefano 'One fled, one dead, one sleeping in a gold bed' OLD RIME

12-01-2007, 03:56 PM	#14
Hollywood Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Pensacola FL the Annapolis of Flight Posts: 38	GOD BLESS the family and friends of a True American Hero in his time of passing.........It scares me to think how fast we are losing these guys that saved our way of life during WW2. I've sat for hours at our local small airport listening to stories of the combat faced daily and it seems to me that the nicest guys seem to be the ones that faced the most adversity in combat and although they don't usually talk about it much, when they do every ear is cocked their way........

12-03-2007, 08:13 AM	#15
Lucky13 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: A Swede living in Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 15,144	__________________ JAN "Felicis Tredecim" "I´m going back to the front to relax" "THE BLACK CATS FLIES TONIGHT" "Find your enemy and shoot him down - everything else is unimportant!" "When you're out of F-8's... You're out of fighters!"

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