Edward L. Feightner
| Edward L. Feightner | |
|---|---|
 RADM "Whitey" Feightner in 1970 | |
| Birth name | Edward Lewis Feightner |
| Nickname | Whitey |
| Born | October 14, 1919 Lima, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | April 1, 2020 (aged 100) Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1941–1974 (33 years) |
| Rank |  Rear admiral |
| Commands held | USS Okinawa (LPH-3) USS Chikaskia (AO-54) Air Group 10 VF-11 |
| Battles/wars | World War II Cold War |
| Awards | Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (4) Air Medal (12) Navy Commendation Medal Congressional Gold Medal |
| Other work | Aerospace Industry |
Rear Admiral Edward Lewis "Whitey" Feightner (October 14, 1919 – April 1, 2020) was a United States Navy officer. He was known for his services in World War II Pacific Theater of Operations. During two combat tours, he shot down nine enemy aircraft to become a flying ace.
He commanded two Navy ships, served as the head of Navy Fighter Design, and was a key contributor to fighter studies that resulted in the development of jet aircraft that as of 2015[update] are still in active service.
Feightner was the only pilot to land the dash-1 variant of the Vought F7U Cutlass aboard a carrier. He led VF-11 to become the first Atlantic fleet unit in which every pilot received the coveted "E" award in a single exercise.[1] He turned 100 in October 2019.[2]
Feightner died on April 1, 2020 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho at the age of 100.[3]
Awards and Decorations[change | change source]
Feightner was awarded the following decorations for his military service.[4][5]
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| Badge | United States Naval Aviator | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Row | Legion of Merit with one gold award star | Distinguished Flying Cross with three gold stars | ||||||||||
| 2nd Row | Air Medal with two silver and one gold star | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal | Combat Action Ribbon | |||||||||
| 3rd Row | Navy Presidential Unit Citation with three service stars | China Service Medal | American Defense Service Medal | |||||||||
| 4th Row | American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with eleven campaign stars | World War II Victory Medal | |||||||||
| 5th Row | Navy Occupation Service Medal | National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star | Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze star | |||||||||
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Golden Eagles Chronolog". Washington, D.C.: Naval History and Heritage Command, Archives Branch. September 6, 2002. Archived from the original on September 3, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- ↑ "The Coeur d'Alene Press - Local News, WWII Navy ace soaring at 100". Archived from the original on 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
- ↑ "Edward Lewis Feightner Obituary". Yates Funeral Home. Hayden Lake, Idaho. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ↑ Mersky (2014), p. 161.
- ↑ Wooldridge (1993), p. 79.
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