After saving countless lives 74 years ago, 100-year-old retired Navy Captain E. Royce Williams will be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
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"Escondido's Royce Williams is 100 years young, a Top Gun pilot like no other, and an American hero for all time," said Congressman Darrell Issa in a press release.
He added, "The heroism and valor he demonstrated for more than 35 harrowing minutes almost 70 years ago in the skies over the North Pacific and the coast of North Korea saved the lives of his fellow pilots, shipmates, and crew. His story is one for the ages, and it now has its rightful chapter as Royce receives the Medal of Honor."
President Donald Trump Told Williams He'd Be Receiving the Medal of Honor
President Donald Trump called Capt. Williams personally on Feb. 4 to tell him he would be receiving the honor.
Capt. Williams served in the Navy during the Korean War. On Nov. 18, 1952, he piloted his F9F-5 Panther and faced seven Soviet MiG-15s alone. Despite the odds, he shot down four of the planes and survived a 37-millimeter round to the aircraft's fuselage. Yet, the pilot made a near-perfect landing on the deck of the USS Oriskany.
Capt. Williams was told to keep the incident a secret and did so for more than 50 years. In 1992, Soviet records finally revealed the details of the pilot's story. He was awarded a Silver Star. It was then elevated to a Navy Cross in 2023 after Rep. Issa launched a campaign to share the facts regarding the incident.
"What Royce did is — still to this day — the most unique U.S.-Soviet aerial combat dogfight in the history of the Cold War, and one in which Royce Williams demonstrated indomitable courage of the highest skill under incalculable duress," said Rep. Issa. "It is my honor to have fought all these years for Royce to gain a recognition that he has not sought, but so richly deserves."
When asked about the honor, Capt. Williams said to KGTV, "Oh, I put it out of my mind because — can't talk about it. I thought that was forever."
The date for Williams to receive the prestigious Medal of Honor has yet to be announced.
