The American Fighter Ace stands alone as an extraordinary man who has distinguished himself among the elite in aerial combat. He has proven himself the hunter rather than the hunted. Throughout aviation history, during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam these heroic pilots possessed the skills, fortitude and courage to survive combat missions and return home with no fewer than five enemy kills.

Of the hundreds of Aces who have served their country since the early days of flight, fewer than 83 remain with us today. In a short few years, their historic lives will be a memory - a footnote to our nation’s rich aviation heritage. Now is the time to enshrine these aviators so that their legacy shall live on.