Hellcat Ace Describes How He Shot Down the Enemy over Europe and the Pacific

Commander Dean “Diz” Laird holds a rare distinction in U.S. Naval Aviation history- he’s the only U.S. Navy ace credited with shooting down enemy aircraft in both the European and Pacific Theaters during the Second World War.

Just weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Laird drove to San Francisco on January 2, 1942, to enlist in the United States Navy. He entered the Navy’s cadet training program and was commissioned as an officer on August 11, 1942. Later that year, on October 21, 1942, he earned his wings as a Naval Aviator at Naval Air Station, Miami, Florida.

Laird first saw combat while assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-4) between November 1942 and March 1943. During operations near Norway in October 1943, he downed two German aircraft, a Junkers Ju 88 and a Heinkel He 115, marking his first aerial victories in the European Theater.

Laird later transitioned to flying the Grumman F4F Wildcat before moving on to the more advanced Grumman F6F Hellcat. Assigned to the USS Essex (CV-9) from November 1944 to March 1945, he would continue to build his combat record against Japanese forces.

In December 1944, while flying over the Philippines, Laird’s Hellcat was heavily damaged by enemy fire. Despite his aircraft being riddled with bullets, he managed to fly the crippled fighter 250 miles back to the USS Essex. With his landing gear disabled, he executed a dangerous belly landing across the carrier’s deck, successfully bringing the aircraft down without fatal injury.

On February 7, 1945, during a mission escorting bombers attacking heavily defended Japanese aircraft engine factories near Tokyo, Laird shot down two additional enemy aircraft. For his actions that day, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

By the end of the war, Laird was credited with 5.75 aerial victories and one damaged aircraft, his tally including both German and Japanese planes, securing his unique place in naval aviation history. Hellcat Ace Describes How He Shot Down the Enemy over Europe and the Pacific An interview with Commander Laird was recorded in 2017, preserving the firsthand account of a man whose wartime service spanned two vastly different theaters of conflict. He passed away on August 10, 2022, leaving behind a legacy defined by resilience, skill, and a distinction unmatched among U.S. Navy fighter pilots of World War II.