The First Hellcat ACE
The First Hellcat ACE
By CDR Hamilton "One Slug'" McWhorter with Jay A. Stout
Though he would object to being called such,Hamilton McWhorters service to family and country make him a standout among America's Greatest generation. A Georgia native whose family roots date from the regions settlement in the 1700s, Mac McWhorter was a Naval aviation cadet undergoing training when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941After earning his Wings of Gold in early 1942, Ensign McWhorter was trained as a fighter pilot in the robust but technolgically outmode F4F Wildcat. Initially assigned to VF9 - A fiercly spirited and hard playing fighter squadron. He first saw combat in November 1942 against Vichy French forces in North Africa.
After returning to the united states, VF9 became the first unit to convert to the new Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter. The fighter the US Navy would use to crush Japanese airpower during the long offensive from the Southwest Pacific to the shores of Japan.
From mid 1943, Hamilton McWhorter was constantly engaged in the unforgiving and deadly aerial warfare that characterized the battles against Imperial Japan.His fifth aerial victory, in November 1943 off Tarawa Atoll, made him the first ACE in the Hellcat, and seven subsequent victories ensured his place in the annals of air-to-air combat. McWhorter's combat service, from the beginning of the war to the last campaign off the shores of Okinawa, makes his story a must read for the serious student of the Pacific air war.
Hamilton McWhorter III retired from the Navy as a Commander in 1969. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Louise.
A Marine F/A-18 pilot from 1981 to early 2001, Lieutenant Colonel Jay A. Stout is a combat veteran with over 4,600 flight hours. He has also authored Hornets Over Kuwait, which recounts his own experiences during the Gulf War. He lives in San Diego with his wife and two daughters.
Cdr. Hamilton McWhorter III, USN (Ret.)
Email: aceww2@aol.com Phone: (619)444-4200
Mail: 1087 Merritt Lane, El Cajon,CA 92020, USA
For Autographed copies send check or M/O to the above address Hardcover Edition 29.95 (plus 4.00 shipping and handling) 249 pages with Photos, Map and Glossary - ISBN-0-935553-49-5
By Cdr Hamilton McWhorter III with Jay A. Stout
Excerpted from the book THE FIRST HELLCAT ACE
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Robert Sourisseau, Guns@USSEssexOnline.com January 30, 2002