DAVID MCCAMPBELL

olumes have been devoted to American World War II ace of aces Dick Bong, Marine Corps is the first full-length biography of America’s leading naval ace. There was far more to McCampbell than acedom or even his Medal of Honor might suggest. His naval career, from graduation at Annapolis in 1933 through retirement in 1964, encompassed assignment aboard the heavy cruiser before he transitioned into aviation. He served in Europe prior to his most famous stint as commander of Air Group 15 aboard the aircraft carrier in the Pacific, followed by a variety of Navy and Defense Department senior staff positions. His 34 victories included seven during the Battle of the Philippine Sea and nine in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the latter an American single-mission record for which he was awarded his country’s highest decoration.