Rear Admiral Edward Lewis "Whitey" Feightner (October 14, 1919 – April 1, 2020) was a United States Navy officer. He was known for his services in World War II Pacific Theater of Operations. During two combat tours, he shot down nine enemy aircraft to become a flying ace.
He commanded two Navy ships, served as the head of Navy Fighter Design, and was a key contributor to fighter studies that resulted in the development of jet aircraft that as of 2015[update] are still in active service.
Feightner was the only pilot to land the dash-1 variant of the Vought F7U Cutlass aboard a carrier. He led VF-11 to become the first Atlantic fleet unit in which every pilot received the coveted "E" award in a single exercise.[1] He turned 100 in October 2019.[2]
Feightner died on April 1, 2020 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho at the age of 100.[3]
Awards and Decorations
Feightner was awarded the following decorations for his military service.
References
