Remembering one of the last heroes of World War Two.
This is a little different than my usual posts, but I read about this extraordinary man and I’ve always been a bit of a WW2 junkie, so I thought I’d share with you guys.
Donald McPherson
At the close of World War II, more than one thousand American pilots had earned the title of “ace,” meaning they had shot down at least five enemy planes. Eight decades later that chapter has finally ended.
On August 14, 2025, Donald McPherson, the last surviving American ace of World War II, passed away at the age of 103.
McPherson’s story is both the tale of a fearless young Navy pilot in the Pacific Theater and the quieter, longer story of a man who chose faith, family, and community over fame.
A Young Pilot in a Brutal War..
Born in Nebraska in 1922, McPherson enlisted in the United States Navy on January 5, 1943, at just twenty years old. After training in Corpus Christi, Texas, he became a pilot in a Grumman F6F Hellcat with Fighter Squadron 83.
In 1945, his squadron was deployed to the USS Essex during the Battle of Okinawa. He got his first taste of combat early when a kamikaze pilot clipped the ship’s radar tower on his second night aboard.
“This sure made us wonder what we had gotten ourselves in for,” McPherson later recalled.
Soon he was in the thick of it. One mission saw him shoot down two Japanese planes in quick succession, the second only after a daring wingover maneuver. He returned with bullet holes in his aircraft, one just a foot behind his seat.
Ultimately, McPherson downed five enemy planes, securing his place among America’s wartime aces. His squadron destroyed 220 airborne Japanese planes and 72 on the ground. For his service, he received the Congressional Gold Medal and three Distinguished Flying Crosses.
More Than a War Record
And yet when McPherson looked back on his life, it was not the dogfights or medals he wanted to be remembered for.
Before shipping out, he had married his high school sweetheart, Thelma Johnston. After the war, he returned to Nebraska, where they built a life together, raising four children. He farmed, worked as a letter carrier, welded, fished, hunted, and carved out time for his church, the Boy Scouts, the American Legion, and the VFW.
He also gave back to his community, helping establish local baseball and softball leagues.
“His first thing would be that he’s a man of faith,” his daughter Beth Delabar told the Beatrice Daily Sun.
The Final Ace
Donald McPherson lived for more than a century, long enough to see his story preserved in museums and tributes, but also long enough to remind people that war heroes often find their truest legacy not in the sky but at home.
His family described his life as “a harmonious blend of hard work and passion.”
With his passing, the era of America’s World War II ace pilots has come to a close. Yet Donald McPherson’s story, one of courage in battle and devotion to faith and family, ensures his chapter will not be forgotten.