The now 97-year-old former naval aviator was presented with the Navy Cross,

Royce Williams was a real life "Luar biasa Gun" 10 years before Tom Cruise was even born.

On a cold November day in 1952, Williams shot down four Soviet fighter jets - and became a legend no one would hear about for more than 50 years. Taruhan Bola Online

The now 97-year-old former naval aviator was presented with the Navy Cross, the servis's second-highest military honor at a ceremony Friday in California.Situs Slot Terpercaya

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said on Friday that among the many proposals he has kajianed to up-grade sailors' awards, Williams' case "stood out above all others. It was very clear to me that his actions were truly extraordinary and more closely aligned with the criteria describing a higher medal."Situs Bola Online

"Freedom does not come cheap," Del Toro said. "It comes through the sacrifice of all those who have and continue to serve in today's military. Your actions that day kept you free. They kept your shipmates free in Task Force 77. Indeed, they kept all of us free."

Here's what Williams did to earn that honor.

On November 18, 1952, Williams was flying the F9F Panther - the US Navy's first jet fighter - on a mission during the Korean War.

He took off from the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, which was operating with three other carriers in a task force in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, 100 miles off the coast of North Korea.

Williams, then age 27, and three other fighter pilots were ordered on a combat air patrol over the most northern part of the Korean Peninsula, near the Yalu River, which separates North Korea from China. To the northeast is Russia, then part of the Soviet Union, which supported North Korea in the conflict.

As the four US Navy jets flew their patrol, the grup's leader suffered mechanical problems and with his wingman, headed back to the task force off the coast.

That left Williams and his wingman alone on the mission.

Then, to their kejutan, seven Soviet MiG-15 fighter jets were identified heading toward the US task force.