Dean S. Laird

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

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 F6Fs 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

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

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
Gold star
Gold star
Gold star
Gold star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
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

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

See also

References
  1. "The Last American Aces". Air and Space magazine. August 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  2. Brinkley, Leslie (October 23, 2018). "Local 97-year-old ace pilot getting national Audie Murphy award". ABC. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  3. Carlson, Mark (May 4, 2018). "An Ace in the Hole: 'Diz' Laird". HistoryNet. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  4. "Walnut Creek: World War II fighter pilots describe exhilaration of flying". MediaNews Group. August 15, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  5. 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. "Dean S. Laird". Veteran Tributes. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  7. 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. "Dean S. Laird, CDR, USN (Ret.) "Diz"" (PDF). epnaao. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  11. 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.
  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
  • Hammel, 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.
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