Abner Aust
Abner Maurice Aust Jr. | |
|---|---|
3rd Tactical Fighter Wing | |
| Battles/wars | World War II Vietnam War |
| Awards | Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross (4) Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal (26) |
Abner Maurice Aust Jr. (October 7, 1921 – June 16, 2020) was an American
He retired in 1972 at the rank of colonel, after 30 years of distinguished service.[1]
Early life
Aust was born October 7, 1921, in
Military career
Aust enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the
World War II
Aust joined the
Aust flew long-range missions over Japan. On June 1, he flew with a B-29 Superfortress that navigated 144 P-51s on their way from Iwo Jima to the coast of Japan. Halfway to target, they encountered heavy squalls that went from sea level to above 25,000 feet. The P-51s tried to fly in formation through the weather, but Aust and the B-29 pilot poured on the power and broke out above 25,000 feet. He saw eleven P-51 pilots managed to get above the turbulence and escorted them back to Iwo Jima. When the mission was over, 27 pilots and 29 planes had been lost and the mission was nicknamed 'Black Friday'.[4]
He experienced his first enemy aircraft encounter on July 16, 1945, over Nagoya. During the aerial combat while leading two flights of P-51s, Aust engaged six Nakajima Ki-84 'Franks' and managed to shoot down three of them. In the same mission, he was attacked by friendly fire from another P-51, resulting in damage to his aircraft. As a result, his directional unit and radio was knocked out, and he barely was able to return to North Field.[2]
His second and last encounter with enemy aircraft happened on August 10, 1945, during a VLR mission escorting
In 1960s, with a help of his brother-in-law, they were able to collect evidence from local Japanese officials that the enemy aircraft shot down by Aust had crashed, and at the location was a grave with the pilot's date of death listed as August 10, 1945. After submitting this additional evidence to the Air Force Board for the Correction of Military Records, the United States Air Force officially credited Aust with his fifth aerial victory and retroactively became a flying ace, thereby making him one of the last flying aces of World War II.[3]
On August 14, 457th FS escorted B-29s on their last mission against Japan. The following day, on August 15, Emperor of Japan Hirohito announced the surrender of Japan.[4]
During World War II, Aust flew a total of 14 Very Long Range (VLR) missions from Iwo Jima. He was credited with the destruction of 5 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and another 3 destroyed on the ground, while
Post war
After his return to U.S, Aust was assigned to
Aust remained in the Air Force following the war and served in a variety of command and staff positions over the next 27 years, including serving as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer with
He then commanded the
After his tour in Vietnam, he was sent to
After returning to U.S in December 1971, he served as special assistant to the commander of the
Later life
Aust was married to Brenda Aust his second wife till their divorce on 1987. Aust later remarried to Doris Maddox his third wife in April 2003, the day that he was sentenced on the solicitation of murder charge. The two later divorced on August 6. He had five children from his first marriage. He had one child with his second wife Brenda Aust, a son Dale Aust.[11][12]
After his retirement from the Air Force, Aust's life was marred with legal issues. In 2000, he was arrested and convicted for soliciting a man to burn down his ex-wife Brenda's house. While in prison, he was charged again for trying to convince a convict to poison her. Aust would serve 8 years in prison and was released on 2009.[13][14]
In 2015, he along with other flying aces received the Congressional Gold Medal, in recognition of "their heroic military service and defense of the country's freedom throughout the history of aviation warfare."[15]
Aust died on June 16, 2020, at the Lakeland Memorial Hospital after a brief illness, at the age of 98. He is buried with full military honors at Sarasota National Cemetery.[16][17]
Aerial victory credits
| Date | # | Type | Location | Aircraft flown | Unit Assigned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 16, 1945 | 3 | Nakajima Ki-84 | Nagoya, Japan |
P-51D Mustang |
457 FS, 506 FG |
| August 10, 1945 | 2 | Mitsubishi A6M |
Tokyo, Japan |
P-51D Mustang | 457 FS, 506 FG |
- SOURCES: Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II
Awards and decorations
During his lengthy career, Aust earned many decorations, including:
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| U.S. Air Force Command Pilot Badge | ||
| Legion of Merit | Distinguished Flying Cross w/ 3 bronze oak leaf clusters |
Bronze Star
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| Meritorious Service Medal | Air Medal w/ 4 silver oak leaf clusters |
Air Medal w/ 4 bronze oak leaf clusters (second ribbon required for accoutrement spacing) |
| Air Force Commendation Medal | Air Force Presidential Unit Citation w/ 1 bronze oak leaf cluster |
Valor device and 3 bronze oak leaf clusters
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Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (second ribbon required for accoutrement spacing) |
Combat Readiness Medal | American Campaign Medal |
campaign stars
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World War II Victory Medal
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Army of Occupation Medal w/ 'Germany' and 'Japan' clasps |
| National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 bronze service star |
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal w/ 1 bronze service star |
Vietnam Service Medal w/ 1 silver campaign star |
Korean Defense Service Medal
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Air Force Longevity Service Award w/ silver and bronze oak leaf clusters |
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
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| Unidentified decoration | Vietnam Air Force Distinguished Service Order (2nd Class) |
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/ Palm and 1 Gold Star |
Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal (1st Class) |
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
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Vietnam Campaign Medal |
References
- ^ a b "Captain Abner Aust". 506th Fighter Group. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Abner M. Aust, Jr. - P-51D Mustang Pilot and Ace, Vietnam Wing Commander". Pacific Wrecks. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ a b "Eighteen Years Later to Become an Ace". Airman (Volume 7). 1963. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ a b Berkowitz, Kathy Leigh (2019-04-07). "One of last living World War II flying aces reflects on his career". The Ledger. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
- ^ "In Memory of Colonel Abner M. Aust, Jr.; October 7, 1921 – June 16, 2020". Iwo Jima Models. July 1, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ Dorr, Robert F. (2012-10-08). "'Very Long Range' P-51 Mustang Missions to Japan Taxed Pilots". Defense Media Network. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
- ^ "Captain Abner Aust". 506th Fighter Group. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Abner M. Aust". Wings of Valor. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Abner M. Aust". Veteran Tributes. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Willhoit, Dana (2007-10-23). "Psychological Test Ordered at Abner Aust Hearing". The Ledger. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
- ^ "Former fighter pilot will go to prison for arson". Tampa Bay Times. 2005-09-28. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- ^ Willhiot, Dana (2005-12-05). "War Hero Convict Gets OK To Fire His Legal Counsel". The Ledger. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- ^ Stacy, Mitch (2009-03-03). "World War II hero gets out of jail after 8 years". Fox News. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- ^ "The "Last WWII Ace" Was Also A Convicted Felon". World War Wings. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "American Fighter Aces Receive Congressional Gold Medal". U.S. Mint. 2015-05-25. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Colonel Abner's Obituary". Marion Nelson Funeral Home. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Abner M. Aust". Legacy. Retrieved October 2, 2020.