Flying Ace

Captain Royce Williams was a Top Gun before Tom Cruise was even born.

In November of 1952, Captain Williams was a pilot in the first US Navy fighter jet. He single-handedly shot down four Soviet MiG-15 fighters in 35 minutes of aerial combat. With a badly damaged craft with only the elevator operable, he was able to return to his carrier and land safely on deck.

On January 20, 2023, the US Navy awarded him the Navy Cross.