U.S. Navy Ace describes dogfight in F4F Wildcat against the Luftwaffe

Dean S. "Diz" Laird (born February 7, 1921) is the only U.S. Navy ace to have combat victories in both the Pacific and European theaters of World War II. Laird recalls his first combat flight in a F4F Wildcat with VF-4 "The Red Rippers" against the German Luftwaffe (a Junkers Ju-88 and a Heinkel He-115) on October 4, 1943 near Norway. He later added three more strikes against Japanese aircraft in the Pacific theater in a F6F Hellcat to become an ACE. "Diz" Laird currently volunteers as a docent aboard the USS Hornet Museum where the ship has restored an FM-2 Wildcat that was recovered from the bottom of Lake Michigan.