Abner M. Aust

Abner Maurice Aust Jr. (October 7, 1921 – June 16, 2020) was an American flying ace in the 506th Fighter Group during World War II, and a career fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. During World War II, Aust flew Very Long Range (VLR) fighter missions from Iwo Jima and was one of the last pilots to become flying aces in the war. During Vietnam War, Aust commanded two fighter wings and flew more than 300 combat missions.

He retired in 1972 at the rank of colonel, after 30 years of distinguished service.

Military career Aust enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on June 23, 1942. He was sent to Santa Ana Army Air Base in California and completed flight training and earned his wings. On April 12, 1943, he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant. Next, he was assigned to Fort Myers, Florida for combat training in the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. In November 1943, he was promoted to the rank of 1st lieutenant. Afterwards, he became a flight instructor at Venice, Florida, and was later promoted to captain.

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'.

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.

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.

Post war

After his return to U.S, Aust was assigned to 22nd Fighter Squadron at Howard Field in Panama Canal Zone, flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. The squadron upgraded to jet aircraft in December 1947 with the arrival of the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star. During his time with the squadron from May 1946 to December 1948, he was stationed in West Germany, during the Berlin Blockade.

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 Military Assistance Advisory Group in Denmark from December 1951 to July 1954. He attended Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama from August 1954 to July 1955. Promoted to colonel on November 17, 1963, he first served as deputy commander and then commander of the 6002nd Standardization Evaluation Group at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, from September 1963 to June 1965.

He then commanded the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in 1967. During Vietnam War, Aust served as an F-4 Phantom II pilot and vice commander of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam from January to May 1968, and then as a North American F-100 Super Sabre pilot and commander of the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, from May 1968 to February 1969. Aust flew 324 combat missions over Vietnam flying the F-4s in primarily radar bombing, and close air support bombing and strafing missions while flying the F-100 Super Sabre.

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.

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."

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.

Aerial victory credits 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:

U.S. Air Force Command Pilot BadgeLegion of MeritDistinguished Flying Crossw/ 3 bronze oak leaf clustersBronze StarMeritorious Service MedalAir Medalw/ 4 silver oak leaf clustersAir Medalw/ 4 bronze oak leaf clusters(second ribbon required for accoutrement spacing)Air Force Commendation MedalAir Force Presidential Unit Citationw/ 1 bronze oak leaf clusterAir Force Outstanding Unit Awardwith Valor device and 3 bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Outstanding Unit Award(second ribbon required for accoutrement spacing)Combat Readiness MedalAmerican Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Medalw/ 3 bronze campaign starsWorld War II Victory MedalArmy of Occupation Medalw/ 'Germany' and 'Japan' claspsNational Defense Service Medalw/ 1 bronze service starArmed Forces Expeditionary Medalw/ 1 bronze service starVietnam Service Medalw/ 1 silver campaign starKorean Defense Service MedalAir Force Longevity Service Awardw/ silver and bronze oak leaf clustersSmall Arms Expert Marksmanship RibbonUnidentified decorationVietnam Air Force Distinguished Service Order(2nd Class)Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Crossw/ Palm and 1 Gold StarVietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal(1st Class)Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit CitationVietnam Campaign Medal