Hamilton McWhorter III was a United States Navy aviator and a flying ace of World War II, credited with shooting down twelve Japanese aircraft. He was the first Hellcat ace, first USN carrier-based double ace, and the first Grumman F6F Hellcat pilot to achieve double ace status. He flew 89 combat missions during World War II while flying with the VF-9 and VF-12 units. On 23 May 2014, he was also posthumously awarded the American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal on which a navy pilot is depicted.
Early life and education
Hamilton McWhorter III was born in 1921 to a middle class family. His first flight happened when he was 9 years old. The family lived on a farm and when he was 9 he got his first shotgun. He was enrolled at the University of Georgia from 1939–1941. He attended Civilian Pilot Training in 1939, and entered the Navy flight program in August, 1941.
Navy career
McWhorter was selected for fighter training and arrived for training in Miami on 24 December 1941. He graduated from flight school on 28 January 1942 and was commissioned as an ensign on 9 February. Advancing to carrier training on the F4F Wildcat at Naval Air Station Norfolk, McWhorter joined Fighting Squadron 9, based at East Field on NAS Norfolk, after completing the program in late April. In early October he and the squadron embarked aboard the USS Ranger for Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Vichy French North Africa. McWhorter flew in an airstrike against Casablanca when the invasion began on 8 November. After Vichy French resistance ceased, the Ranger returned to Norfolk. Based at nearby NAS Oceana from December, VF-9 converted to the new F6F-3 Hellcat in early 1943, among the first squadrons to receive them. McWhorter found the Hellcat a "dream to fly" and much superior to the Wildcat. During this period at Norfolk McWhorter met Louise Edel, the daughter of a Navy chaplain, and married her on 16 January. In May 1943 VF-9 departed for the Pacific Theater aboard the newly commissioned carrier Essex. He was nicknamed "One Slug" McWhorter after his first kill over Wake Island on 5 October 1943, when McWhorter flew into a formation of Japanese aircraft, and fired one.50 caliber bullet into the plane. The plane exploded and McWhorter earned his first enemy kill. The men in his unit said he was conserving the taxpayers money by only firing one slug. McWhorter later stated that he only fired one shot because the plane blew up.
On a mission escorting SBD Dauntlessdive bombers over Rabaul on 11 November 1943, McWhorter downed two Zeroes. McWhorter's Hellcat was hit several times in the attack but he was able to land on the USS Essex. The Hellcat sustained bullet holes on both sides of the fuselage and several that that went straight through each wing. During the 17 February 1944 Operation Hailstone airstrikes on Truk, McWhorter downed three Zeroes, bringing his score to ten victories. He thus became the first Hellcat double ace and the first carrier pilot to reach double ace status. In his memoirs, McWhorter described the engagement: "My wingman and I ran into three Zekes. The first had a perfect bead on me, but for some reason didn't fire and Bud knocked him down. The other two ran right into my sights, one after the other, inside ten seconds and went down. Less than a mile away another Zero was bearing down on me. He could have got me, but strangely, he didn't fire either. I let him have a burst and set him afire." The Essex arrived at San Francisco on 10 March, and her pilots dispersed for a months' leave. After meeting his parents-in-law for the first time at Naval Training Station Sampson and visiting his family in Athens, McWhorter was posted to the reforming VF-12 as one of its veteran cadre. VF-12 was attached to USS Randolph in 1945, and McWhorter claimed two more Japanese aircraft to raise his victory total to 12. McWhorter was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross five times in recognition of his actions. He was among the seven original inductees into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame when the latter was established in 1989.] After the war, McWhorter was given command of VF-12. He ended his Navy career as executive officer of Naval Air Station Miramar in 1969 and retired to El Cajon. McWhorter's memoir, coauthored by Jay Stout, was published by Pacifica in 2001 as The First Hellcat Ace. After retirement, he became an instructor at Gillespie Field, training many airline pilots.
Congressional Gold Medal awarded to American fighter aces, collectively May 23, 2014
Personal
In January 1943 he married to Louise McWhorter. Together they had 5 children: Donald, Bill, Georgia, Hamilton, and Jon. He retired as a Navy commander in 1969 in El Cajon, California.
