'Ace' Fighter Pilots Receive Congressional Gold Medal
It's an elite club for fighters who shot down five or more enemy planes.
— -- They’re a rare breed of fighter pilots: “aces,” those who have shot down five or more hostile aircraft in combat. And today, those still living received the nation’s highest civilian honor -- the Congressional Gold Medal.
“We are proud to honor the American fighter aces with a Congressional Gold Medal as an expression of our boundless gratitude and deep respect,” House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said during a ceremony at the Capitol Visitors Center Wednesday.
The head of the American Fighter Aces, Charles “Chick” Cleveland, accepted the award on behalf of his fellow aces. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said there were about three dozen in attendance.
Today's honor "celebrates not just what they did, but how they did it -- with daring and devotion, to live what Teddy Roosevelt would call, 'the strenuous life,'" Boehner said.
All aces are veterans of World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Their youngest member is a 72, while the oldest is 104, according to Cleveland.