WWII Flying Ace Shot Down German and Japanese Fighters | Dean "Diz" Laird #militaryhistory #ww2

Full story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX2inV8MeDY

Commander Dean "Diz" Laird is the only U.S. Navy "ace" pilot to have shot down enemy aircraft in both the European and Pacific Theaters of World War II. On 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. His landing gear did not work and Laird landed the plane skidding on its bottom across the runway of the aircraft carrier USS Essex.

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.

A special thanks to Matthew McConaughey for offering his voice for this story. We love working with anyone who shares our passion in keeping these stories alive.

----------------------------------------------------------------
The American Veterans Center is a 501(c)3 charitable organization whose mission is to collect as many oral histories from military veterans of all eras with a special focus on WWII. During our annual American Valor show, we bring 20+ WWII veterans and scores of other veterans every year to honor their service and collect their stories. This is how we keep the actions from the service member who was on the ground alive in American memory. Help us continue collecting these amazing stories from our nation's heroes and support the American Valor production here: https://bit.ly/american-veterans-center

Become an AVC Patreon member to receive an annual calendar, early access to videos, exclusive content, and several other perks. This funding goes directly to the 501(c)3 that helps us capture more incredible stories with our nation's veterans: http://patreon.com/americanveteranscenter

For sponsorship inquiries email: avc@intheblackmedia.com

Learn more about the American Veterans Center: http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americanveteranscenter/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AVCupdate
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americanveteranscenter/

Subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/americanveteranscenter?sid=youtubedescription

Видео WWII Flying Ace Shot Down German and Japanese Fighters | Dean "Diz" Laird #militaryhistory #ww2 канала American Veterans Center