There Are Only 77 American Aces Still Alive

From the June 2015 Veterans Site Blog.  "There Are Only 77 Left?  We Need to Honor These Vets Before It's Too Late" by Brian Doyle.

Recently two American Aces from Washington State went to meet up with more than three dozen other Aces in Washington, D.C. to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest U.S. civilian award.

To reach Ace status, the pilot has to have shot down five or more enemy planes in aerial combat, otherwise known as Dogfights.Only 77 remain from the past.  Air Force Brigadier general Steve Ritchie of Bellevue, Washington, became an Ace during the Vietnam War by flying 800 hours of combat on 339 missions.  He shot down five MIG-21s.

Navy Commander Clarence Borley, of Olympia, Washington, was actually shot down himself in the South Pacific where he floated for five days before being spotted and picked up by an American submarine.  While on that sub, he also experienced submarine combat when it was attacked twice by Japanese vessels.

On a day like today, July 4th, it is good to remember these men who risked their lives for us.

--GreGen