Frederick C. Blesse was born in the Panama Canal Zone in 1921. His father was a brigadier general in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. 'Boots' graduated from American High School of Manila, in 1939. He graduated from West Point in 1945 with a rating as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
For the next three years he flew P-40, P-51, P-47 and F-80 fighter planes. In 1949 he went to Selfridge Air Force Base, as a jet fighter pilot. During the Korean War, he flew two volunteer combat tours, November 1950-May 1951 and April 1952-October 1952, flying over 200 missions in F-51 Mustangs, F-80 Shooting Stars, and F-86 Sabres. During his second combat tour, he was officially credited with destroying nine Mig-15s and one LA-9 aircraft; one 'probable' and three 'damaged' Mig-15s. He was the top American jet ace when he came home in October 1952.
Size 30" x 24"
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