Frederick Corbin Blesse | |
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| Nickname | Boots |
| Born | (1921-08-22)August 22, 1921 |
| Died | October 31, 2012(2012-10-31) (aged 91) Melbourne, Florida, U.S. |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Service years | 1945–1975 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | 413th Fighter Group 18th Fighter-Bomber Group 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing 366th Tactical Fighter Wing |
| Commands | 32nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron 474th Tactical Fighter Wing 831st Air Division |
| Conflicts | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross (6) Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Air Medal (21) |
| Relations | Betty Blesse (wife) |
Frederick Corbin "Boots" Blesse (August 22, 1921 – October 31, 2012) was aUnited States Air Forcemajor general andflying ace. He graduated from theUnited States Military Academy in 1945. He flew two combat tours during theKorean War, completing 67 missions inP-51s, 35 missions inF-80s and 121 missions inF-86s. During the second tour in F-86s, he was officially credited with shooting down nineMiG-15s and oneLa-9. At the time of his return to the United States in October 1952, he was America's leading jet ace.
Blesse was born on August 22, 1921, inColón,Panama Canal Zone. His father,Frederick A. Blesse, was a brigadier general in theU.S. Army Medical Corps duringWorld War II. He graduated fromAmerican High School atManila in thePhilippines in 1939, and he entered theU.S. Military Academy atWest Point in 1942.
Blesse was commissioned a year early due toWorld War II, graduating fromWest Point and being awarded his pilot wings on June 5, 1945.
He earned his pilot wings just asWorld War II was ending and did not see any combat during the war.
After completing gunnery training andP-47 Thunderbolt training, he was assigned to the1st Fighter Squadron of the413th Fighter Group onOkinawa from March to October 1946, and then with the25th Fighter Squadron of the51st Fighter Group, also on Okinawa, until March 1948. During this time, Blesse transitioned to theF-80 Shooting Star jet fighter. His next assignment was with the63d Fighter Squadron of the56th Fighter Group atSelfridge Air Force Base, where he served from March 1948 to November 1950.
Blesse was assigned to the67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron of the18th Fighter-Bomber Group in Korea from November 1950 to February 1951, and then with the7th Fighter-Bomber Squadron of the49th Fighter-Bomber Group. He flewF-80 Shooting Stars andP-51 Mustangs, during his first tour of duty in Korea.
He returned to the U.S. in June 1951. Blesse then served with the94th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron atGeorge Air Force Base until April 1952, when he returned to Korea for a second tour, this time with the334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, returning to the U.S. in October 1952, where he flewF-86 Sabres and was credited in destroying nineMiG-15s and oneLa-9 in aerial combat plus 1 probable and 3 more damaged. Overall, he flew 223 combat missions in the F-51 Mustang, F-80 Shooting Star, and F-86 Sabre fighters.
From December 1952 to February 1956, he served as a gunnery instructor and squadron commander atNellis Air Force Base and he was on the Air Training Command Fighter Gunnery Team in 1954 and 1955. During this time, he wrote the book "No Guts, No Glory", which has been used as a basis for fighter combat operations for many of the world's air forces, such asRoyal Air Force, theU.S. Marine Corps, Chinese Nationalist,Korean Air Force, andU.S. Air Force since 1955. As recently as 1973, 3,000 copies were reproduced and sent to tactical units in the field.
During the 1955 Air Force Worldwide Gunnery Championship, he won all six trophies offered for individual performance, a feat never equaled. He transferred to Randolph Air Force Base in February 1956, and served as chief of the Fighter Division of Crew Training until April 1958, when he was assigned to the32nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron atSoesterberg Air Base, theNetherlands serving as commander of the squadron before returning to the United States in August 1961.
He served as base and squadron commander of theF-100 Super Sabre andF-102 organization. He returned to the United States in August 1961 as a member of theAir Staff with the inspector general,Norton Air Force Base,California, where he served until August 1965. Col Blesse next attendedNational War College in Washington, D.C. During this assignment he attended night school and earned amaster's degree ininternational relations atThe George Washington University. He then attendedF-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training.
During theVietnam War, Blesse was assigned as Director of Operations for the366th Tactical Fighter Wing atDa Nang Air Base in theRepublic of Vietnam from April 1967 to April 1968. During this one-year tour of duty, he flew 108 combat missions overNorth Vietnam and another 46 inLaos andSouth Vietnam. He was decorated for valor for helping unload the bombs from a burning F-4 Phantom II aircraft during a rocket attack. While on his first tour in 1967–1968, he flew in total 156 combat missions.
Blesse next served as Director of Operations for the474th Tactical Fighter Wing, U.S. Air Force's firstGeneral Dynamics F-111 Aardvark wing at Nellis Air Force Base, from May 1968 until becoming the Wing's commander in June 1969. He was made Commander of the831st Air Division atGeorge Air Force Base in June 1970. During his second tour in Vietnam, he served as Assistant Director of Operations for7th Air Force atTan Son Nhut Air Base in the Republic of Vietnam from January to July 1971.
In May 1968 he again was assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, this time as director of operations of the474th Tactical Fighter Wing, and in June 1969 became commander. In July 1970 General Blesse became commander of the 831st Air Division atGeorge Air Force Base, California, and then was selected for another tour of duty in the Republic of Vietnam as assistant director of operations forSeventh Air Force,Tan Son Nhut Air Base.
Blesse then became Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations followed by Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at HeadquartersPacific Air Forces atHickam Air Force Base, where he served from July 1971 to November 1973. From November 1973 to August 1974, he served as senior Air Force member on theWeapons Systems Evaluation Group in the Office of theSecretary of Defense, followed by service as Deputy Inspector General of theU.S. Air Force, where he served from August 1974 until April 1, 1975.
He retired from the USAF on April 1, 1975, with more than 6,500 flying hours in fighter-type aircraft and more than 650 hours combat time to his credit.
After his retirement from the Air Force, he worked with theGrumman Corporation before he completely retired. He lived with his wife, Betty, in Florida. They had four children and three step-children. In December 1998, over 40 years after the Korean War, he was awarded theDistinguished Service Cross for actions during that war.[1]
Blesse died on October 31, 2012, at a golf course inMelbourne, Florida, officially 'flying west'. He was honored with aflyover ofF-15 Eagles before being buried with full military honors atArlington National Cemetery.
He was a command pilot with more than 6,500 flying hours, most of which were in fighter aircraft including theP-40,P-47,P-51 Mustang,P-80,F-86,F-100,F-102,A-7,F-104,F-106,F-4, andF-111. He had more than 650 hours combat flying and is the nation's sixth ranking jetace.
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The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Air Force) to Major Frederick Corbin Blesse, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Pilot of an F-86 Fighter Airplane of the 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, Far East Air Forces, in action against enemy forces in the Republic of Korea on 8 September 1952. Leading a flight of four F-86s protecting fighter-bombers from possible attack by enemy MIGs, Major Blesse positioned his flight for an attack on four sighted MIGs. Singling out one of the MIGs, Major Blesse followed it up into an overcast and broke out between layers of clouds. As the two aircraft emerged from the clouds, Major Blesse was still in position, so he closed and fired, causing the MIG to burst into flames and the pilot to eject himself. Major Blesse then sighted a lone MIG, and positioned himself for another attack. The MIG began violent, evasive maneuvers, but through superior airmanship Major Blesse scored hits, causing the MIG to snap and spin. Major Blesse followed closely until the MIG recovered. He then scored hits with another long burst which caused the pilot to eject himself. Through his courage, keen flying ability and devotion to duty, Major Blesse reflected great credit upon himself, the Far East Air Forces, and the United States Air Force.[2]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the United States Air Force
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