Lonnie R. Moore

Lonnie R. Moore (13 July 1920 – 10 January 1956) was a United States military aviator who flew 54 combat missions in Martin B-26 Marauders during World War II, and whom became a double jet ace during the Korean War, downing ten MiG-15s and one probable while flying North American F-86 Sabres. He was killed in the crash of a new fighter type at Eglin AFB, Florida, at age 35.

Biography Lonnie Raymond Moore was a native of Groesbeck and San Antonio, Texas, the son of Joseph Benjamin (J. B.) and Lillie Toten Moore of that city.

In the post-war era, he transitioned to fighter aircraft. As a captain, he was assigned to the Air Proving Ground Command at Eglin AFB, Florida, in 1951, where he served as a project officer during the Korean War, deploying TDY to Korea to perform a test under combat conditions with the 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing in the modified F-86F-2 Sabre, upgunned with the M39 cannon. During the test mission he downed two MiG-15s with the new weapon. Remaining in Korea after the test was completed, he flew 100 combat missions, destroying ten MiGs, plus one probable. approximately 20 miles north of Ch'o Do Island, coming down in the Yellow Sea. He was plucked from the water as soon as he got out of his parachute harness by a YH-19 helicopter of the 3d Air Rescue Squadron that had monitored his descent.

Moore scored his fifth aerial victory on 18 June 1953.

Returning to Eglin by the last quarter of 1953, Moore was one of seven fighter pilots "who made exceptional records in Korea" profiled by Collier's Magazine in the October issue. Moore served as the Air Force Operational Test Center's chief project officer for operational suitability tests of the Air Force's first supersonic jet fighter, the F-100A Super Sabre, in 1954, and the F-100C, from October 1955, on which test program Moore served as senior project officer, from April 1955. and crashed in the center of the airfield just after becoming airborne, appearing to explode on impact. Although the crash site was only from the fire station, and the blaze extinguished within three minutes, the pilot had no chance to escape and was killed. He was survived by his widow, the former Billie Geneva Hall, plus the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak clusters, the Bronze Star and the Air Medal with 14 clusters.