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Local ace receives Congressional Gold Medal

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  • By Kimberly Woodruff
  • Staff Writer
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  A retired colonel from Oklahoma recently added a gold medal to his long list of military awards.

Col. Chuck DeBellevue is one of 77 surviving American fighter aces to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor Congress can bestow on behalf of the American people. His other military decorations include the Air Force Cross, three Silver Stars, three Legions of Merit, six Distinguished Flying Crosses and 18 Air Medals.

Colonel DeBellevue retired Feb. 1, 1998, after 30 years of service and was the last American ace on active duty.

During World Wars I and II and the Korean and Vietnam wars, 60,000 American fighter pilots engaged in aerial combat. Of those pilots, 1,447 earned the title of ace by downing five or more enemy aircraft.

The award was presented May 20 at Emancipation Hall on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., by Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, and Rep. Sam Johnson of Texas.

Representative Johnson, a combat veteran fighter pilot, said these patriots are "the best of the best, the cream of the crop in air-to-air combat."

"They have engaged the enemy time and time again over the South Pacific, Europe and East Asia and won," he said. "They have contributed to the aerial supremacy of the United States; their efforts have shortened wars and saved lives, yet have never been rightfully honored -- at least not until now. I'm honored that today Republicans and Democrats seized the opportunity to honor the heroism, duty, service, courage and sacrifice of all American fighter aces."

The ceremony at the capitol was convened by Seattle's Museum of Flight, home to the American Fighter Aces Association. The museum brought together more than 20 volunteer pilots and a fleet of small and mid-size jets to fly more than three dozen of the surviving aces and their families to Washington, D.C.

"All these men had an outsized impact on the air war that they fought in," said AFAA president and fellow ace, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Charles Cleveland, who accepted the award on behalf of the aces. "They are people who saved lives and shortened wars; they will never be forgotten."

In 1971, then Captain DeBellevue was assigned to the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base. While stationed there, he flew 220 combat missions and is credited with the destruction of six North Vietnamese jet fighters in combat; four MiG-21s and two MiG-19s, earning him the title of leading ace from the war in Southeast Asia.

The experience of it all was pretty awesome and exciting, but Colonel DeBellevue said they had to be very calm and focused.

"If you were worried about going home, well, you might not," said Colonel DeBellevue. "It has been said that 10 percent of pilots were going to get 90 percent of the kills. You had to have a 'devil may care' kind of attitude and not everybody has that. The results of losing meant you weren't going home. You had to win."

Colonel DeBellevue recalled one instance when his friend, Roger Locker, was shot down, but ejected at the last possible second.

"There was almost nothing we wouldn't have done to get him back," he said. Eventually, Mr. Locker was rescued and brought back.

"We were there because we wanted to be," said Colonel DeBellevue. "We had a buddy who was alive and we had to go get him -- that's what it's all about. You may join the military for God, patriotism or apple pie, but you fight for your buddy."

Mr. DeBellevue and Mr. Locker remain friends today.

(Some information from the Museum of Flight's website)