Joseph C. McConnell
Encyclopedia
Joseph Christopher McConnell, Jr. (30 January 1922 – 25 August 1954) was the top American flying ace
during the Korean War
. A native of Dover, New Hampshire
, Captain McConnell was credited with shooting down 16 MiG-15
s while flying North American F-86 Sabres with the U.S. Air Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
and the Silver Star
for his actions in aerial combat. McConnell was the first American triple jet-on-jet fighter ace
and is still the top-scoring American jet ace.
training. After completing this course, he flew combat missions in Europe as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator navigator. He remained in the Army Air Forces after the war, eventually entering flight training. In 1948, McConnell finally achieved his goal of becoming a fighter pilot.
began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea. As the war continued to spread throughout the Korean peninsula, McConnell sought to become part of it. He was assigned to the 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing
in Korea
in late 1952. Gifted with exceptional eyesight, McConnell proved to be an aggressive MiG hunter, but he did not shoot down his first enemy aircraft until the following year. He scored all of his victories during the four month period from 14 January to 18 May 1953.
Captain McConnell flew at least three different F-86 Sabres, all named "Beautious Butch". The name referred to the nickname of his wife, Pearl "Butch" Brown. His first kills were scored in an F-86E-10 (serial number 51-2753, buzz number
FU-753). The second was an F-86F-15 (serial number 51-12971, buzz number FU-971). After his eighth kill in April 1953, McConnell's second plane was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft and he ejected over the Yellow Sea. Within a few minutes he was rescued by helicopter. The next day he returned to the air and shot down another MiG. His final combat Sabre was an F-86F-1 (serial number 51-2910, buzz number FU-910). This aircraft was repainted following his final mission, with the name being changed to "Beauteous Butch II".
On 18 May 1953, his last day of combat flying, McConnell shot down three MiGs during two separate missions, bringing his total victory count to 16 and making him America's first triple jet ace. Immediately after his 16th kill, McConnell was sent back to the United States, along with Manuel "Pete" Fernandez, the top ace of the 4th Fighter Wing. For his heroic combat exploits, McConnell was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
(DSC), America's second-highest decoration for valor.
, McConnell was stationed at George Air Force Base
and continued flying F-86s. In 1954 he was temporarily assigned to the service test program for the new F-86H. This was the last and most powerful version of the Sabre, and was intended to be a nuclear-capable fighter-bomber. On 25 August 1954, while testing the fifth production F-86H-1-NA (serial number 52-1981) at Edwards Air Force Base
, McConnell was killed in a crash following a control malfunction. The cause of the accident was attributed to a missing bolt. Then-Major Chuck Yeager
was assigned to investigate the crash, and replicated the malfunction at a much higher altitude; this height advantage allowed him to safely regain control of the aircraft before it hit the desert floor.
The 1955 film The McConnell Story
, starring Alan Ladd
and June Allyson
, chronicles his life story. The book Sabre Jet Ace (1959) by Charles Ira Coombs chronicled his experiences as a fighter pilot in Korea in a fictionalized biography for young readers.
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. A native of Dover, New Hampshire
Dover, New Hampshire
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
, Captain McConnell was credited with shooting down 16 MiG-15
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where early in the war, it outclassed all straight-winged enemy fighters in...
s while flying North American F-86 Sabres with the U.S. Air Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
and the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
for his actions in aerial combat. McConnell was the first American triple jet-on-jet fighter ace
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
and is still the top-scoring American jet ace.
World War II
During World War II, McConnell entered the U.S. Army Air Forces Aviation Cadet training program. His dream of becoming a pilot was dashed when, instead of being sent to pilot training, he was assigned to navigatorFlight officer
The title flight officer was a military rank used by the United States Armed Forces where it was an air force warrant officer rank. It was also an air force rank in several Commonwealth nations where it was used for female officers and was equivalent to the rank of flight lieutenant...
training. After completing this course, he flew combat missions in Europe as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator navigator. He remained in the Army Air Forces after the war, eventually entering flight training. In 1948, McConnell finally achieved his goal of becoming a fighter pilot.
Korean War
The Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea. As the war continued to spread throughout the Korean peninsula, McConnell sought to become part of it. He was assigned to the 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing
51st Fighter Wing
The 51st Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Osan Air Base, South Korea.The 51st Fighter Wing is under Pacific Air Forces' Seventh Air Force...
in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
in late 1952. Gifted with exceptional eyesight, McConnell proved to be an aggressive MiG hunter, but he did not shoot down his first enemy aircraft until the following year. He scored all of his victories during the four month period from 14 January to 18 May 1953.
Captain McConnell flew at least three different F-86 Sabres, all named "Beautious Butch". The name referred to the nickname of his wife, Pearl "Butch" Brown. His first kills were scored in an F-86E-10 (serial number 51-2753, buzz number
Buzz number
A buzz number was a large letter and number combination applied to United States Air Force military aircraft in the years immediately after World War II, through the early 1960s...
FU-753). The second was an F-86F-15 (serial number 51-12971, buzz number FU-971). After his eighth kill in April 1953, McConnell's second plane was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft and he ejected over the Yellow Sea. Within a few minutes he was rescued by helicopter. The next day he returned to the air and shot down another MiG. His final combat Sabre was an F-86F-1 (serial number 51-2910, buzz number FU-910). This aircraft was repainted following his final mission, with the name being changed to "Beauteous Butch II".
On 18 May 1953, his last day of combat flying, McConnell shot down three MiGs during two separate missions, bringing his total victory count to 16 and making him America's first triple jet ace. Immediately after his 16th kill, McConnell was sent back to the United States, along with Manuel "Pete" Fernandez, the top ace of the 4th Fighter Wing. For his heroic combat exploits, McConnell was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
(DSC), America's second-highest decoration for valor.
Death
After returning to his home in Apple Valley, CaliforniaApple Valley, California
-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was in 2002.*On average, the coolest month is December.*The lowest recorded temperature was in 1949.*The most precipitation on average occurs in February.-History:...
, McConnell was stationed at George Air Force Base
George Air Force Base
George Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located within city limits, 8 miles northwest of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. The facility was closed by the Base Realignment and Closure 1992 commission at the end of the Cold...
and continued flying F-86s. In 1954 he was temporarily assigned to the service test program for the new F-86H. This was the last and most powerful version of the Sabre, and was intended to be a nuclear-capable fighter-bomber. On 25 August 1954, while testing the fifth production F-86H-1-NA (serial number 52-1981) at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
, McConnell was killed in a crash following a control malfunction. The cause of the accident was attributed to a missing bolt. Then-Major Chuck Yeager
Chuck Yeager
Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and noted test pilot. He was the first pilot to travel faster than sound...
was assigned to investigate the crash, and replicated the malfunction at a much higher altitude; this height advantage allowed him to safely regain control of the aircraft before it hit the desert floor.
The 1955 film The McConnell Story
The McConnell Story
The McConnell Story is a dramatization of the life and career of U.S. Air Force pilot Joseph C. McConnell , who served as a navigator in World War II before becoming the top American ace during the Korean War. He was killed while serving as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave...
, starring Alan Ladd
Alan Ladd
-Early life:Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was the only child of Ina Raleigh Ladd and Alan Ladd, Sr. He was of English ancestry. His father died when he was four, and his mother relocated to Oklahoma City where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter...
and June Allyson
June Allyson
June Allyson was an American film and television actress, popular in the 1940s and 1950s. She was a major MGM contract star. Allyson won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance in Too Young to Kiss . From 1959–1961, she hosted and occasionally starred in her own CBS anthology...
, chronicles his life story. The book Sabre Jet Ace (1959) by Charles Ira Coombs chronicled his experiences as a fighter pilot in Korea in a fictionalized biography for young readers.
External links
- The Crash of McConnell's F-86H
- Photograph of McConnell's Sabre showing the name "Beauteous Butch II", "Sabres and Aces", Air Force Magazine, September 2006, p. 85.
- Capt. Joseph McConnell; Account of McConnell's Korean War experiences, with photographs
- F-86H photograph from National Museum of the USAF
