Hamilton Mcwhorter USN

VF-9, VF-12

Hamilton Mcwhorter flew the F6F Hellcat with VF-9 aboard the carrier USS Essex in 1943 and 1944.

His first aerial victory was on October 5, 1943 over Wake Island .

His fifth victory was over the Gilberts Islands on November 19, 1943 making Mcwhorter the first official Hellcat Ace.

On February 17, 1944 while fighting over Turk Atoll, Mcwhorter scored his tenth aerial victory making him the first official Double Ace in the Hellcat.

Mcwhorter returned for another combat tour near the end of the war.

His eleventh victory was against a Zero on a raid to Tokyo on February 16, 1945. His final victory was on May 13, 1945 when he shot down a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft, a “Myrt.”

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8-14-07