American pilot Alex Vraciu, who became famous during World War II for shooting down six Japanese dive bombers in one raid, died on January 29, in California. He was 96. American newspaper New York Times paid him homage in an ample article.

Vraciu, the son of Romanian immigrants from Transylvania, was born in 1918 in Chicago. In 1941, he enlisted as a naval aviator in the United States Navy Reserve. He quickly made his way up and became a member of the Fighting Squadron Six (VF-6), under Lieutenant Commander Edward "Butch" O'Hare, the American Navy’s first flying ace in World War II.

O’Hare made Vraciu his wingman. The Romanian-born pilot gunned down his first enemy plane in October 1943. Other victories followed and Vraciu became his squadron’s leading pilot.

His greatest day as a pilot occurred during the First Battle of the Philippine Sea, also known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot", on June 19, 1944. Although he was flying a malfunctioning plane, he managed to destroy six Japanese within 8 minutes.

He gunned down a total of 19 enemy planes, which made him the fourth most successful pilot of the U.S. Navy during World War II. He received a Navy Cross for this.

After the war, Vraciu became a test pilot training the Naval Air Reserves. He retired in 1964, after reaching Commander.

He had two sons, three daughters, 11 grandchildren and 13 grand-grandchildren.

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Wikipedia)