Edward L. Feightner
Rear Admiral Edward Lewis "Whitey" Feightner (October 14, 1919 – April 1, 2020) was a United States Navy officer. He was known for his services in World War II Pacific Theater of Operations. During two combat tours, he shot down nine enemy aircraft to become a flying ace.
| Edward L. Feightner | |
|---|---|
 RADM "Whitey" Feightner in 1970 | |
| Birth name | Edward Lewis Feightner |
| Nickname | Whitey |
| Born | October 14, 1919 Lima, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | April 1, 2020 (aged 100) Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1941–1974 (33 years) |
| Rank |  Rear admiral |
| Commands held | USS Okinawa (LPH-3) USS Chikaskia (AO-54) Air Group 10 VF-11 |
| Battles/wars | World War II Cold War |
| Awards | Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (4) Air Medal (12) Navy Commendation Medal Congressional Gold Medal |
| Other work | Aerospace Industry |
He commanded two Navy ships, served as the head of Navy Fighter Design, and was a key contributor to fighter studies that resulted in the development of jet aircraft that as of 2015 are still in active service.
Feightner was the only pilot to land the dash-1 variant of the Vought F7U Cutlass aboard a carrier. He led VF-11 to become the first Atlantic fleet unit in which every pilot received the coveted "E" award in a single exercise.[1] He turned 100 in October 2019.[2]
Feightner died on April 1, 2020 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho at the age of 100.[3]
Awards and Decorations
Feightner was awarded the following decorations for his military service.[4][5]
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| Badge | United States Naval Aviator | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Row | Legion of Merit with one gold award star | Distinguished Flying Cross with three gold stars | ||||||||||
| 2nd Row | Air Medal with two silver and one gold star | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal | Combat Action Ribbon | |||||||||
| 3rd Row | Navy Presidential Unit Citation with three service stars | China Service Medal | American Defense Service Medal | |||||||||
| 4th Row | American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with eleven campaign stars | World War II Victory Medal | |||||||||
| 5th Row | Navy Occupation Service Medal | National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star | Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze star | |||||||||
References
- "Golden Eagles Chronolog". Washington, D.C.: Naval History and Heritage Command, Archives Branch. September 6, 2002. Archived from the original on September 3, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- "The Coeur d'Alene Press - Local News, WWII Navy ace soaring at 100". Archived from the original on 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
- "Edward Lewis Feightner Obituary". Yates Funeral Home. Hayden Lake, Idaho. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- Mersky (2014), p. 161.
- Wooldridge (1993), p. 79.