{"id":154872,"date":"2026-04-01T08:55:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T06:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/americas-last-triple-ace-comes-home\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T10:39:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:39:53","slug":"americas-last-triple-ace-comes-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/americas-last-triple-ace-comes-home\/","title":{"rendered":"America&#8217;s Last Triple Ace Comes Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n\n\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4f8;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:0 0 28px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0\">\r\n<h3 style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;color:#1a1a1a\">Quick Facts<\/h3>\r\n<ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.7;color:#333\">\r\n<li><strong>Who:<\/strong> Col. Clarence E. \"Bud\" Anderson (1922\u20132024)<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Record:<\/strong> 16\u00bc aerial victories \u2014 triple ace, 357th Fighter Group<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Aircraft:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/p-51-mustang\">P-51<\/a> Mustang \"Old Crow\"<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Missions:<\/strong> 116 combat missions, never hit by enemy fire<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Ceremony:<\/strong> March 30, 2026, Arlington National Cemetery, Section 38<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px\"><img data-opt-id=1944293212  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/4\/4d\/Bud_Anderson_%28cropped%29_01.jpg\/960px-Bud_Anderson_%28cropped%29_01.jpg\" alt=\"Colonel Clarence Bud Anderson, Americas last WWII triple ace\" style=\"display:block;width:100%!important;max-width:100%!important;height:auto!important;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Col. Clarence E. \"Bud\" Anderson \u2014 16\u00bc aerial victories, 116 combat missions, never hit by enemy fire. (U.S. Air Force \/ Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Four <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-35-lightning-ii\">F-35<\/a> Lightning IIs thundered over Arlington National Cemetery in tight formation. Seconds later, four P-51 Mustangs followed \u2014 two of them painted in the olive drab and red trim of \"Old Crow.\" The sound of Merlin engines rolled across the headstones like a message from 1944. Below, a horse-drawn caisson carried the urn of Colonel Clarence E. \"Bud\" Anderson to his final resting place in Section 38.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">America's last surviving World War II triple ace came home on March 30, 2026. More than 100 people gathered to say goodbye \u2014 generals, fellow veterans, aviation historians, and ordinary citizens who understood what they were witnessing: the closing of a chapter in aerial combat that will never be written again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anderson died on May 17, 2024, at the age of 102. He was laid to rest beside his wife of nearly 70 years, Eleanor \"Ellie\" Cosby, who preceded him in 2015. The ceremony featured full military honours: a firing team from the Air Force fired three volleys, a bugler sounded Taps, and a lone bagpiper closed with \"Amazing Grace.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Kid from Newcastle, California<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Born on January 13, 1922, in the small town of Newcastle, California, Anderson grew up watching barnstormers land in nearby fields. He enlisted after Pearl Harbor and earned his wings in 1943, shipping out to England with the 363rd Fighter Squadron of the 357th Fighter Group \u2014 a unit that would become one of the most decorated in the Eighth Air Force.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His assigned aircraft was a P-51B Mustang he named \"Old Crow,\" after his favourite bourbon. It was in that cockpit that a small-town kid from the Sierra Nevada foothills became one of the deadliest fighter pilots of the war.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px\"><img data-opt-id=920820177  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/e\/e0\/Bud_Anderson_with_his_P-51.jpg\/960px-Bud_Anderson_with_his_P-51.jpg\" alt=\"Bud Anderson with his P-51 Mustang Old Crow\" style=\"display:block;width:100%!important;max-width:100%!important;height:auto!important;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A young Bud Anderson with his P-51 Mustang \"Old Crow\" \u2014 the aircraft that carried him through 116 missions unscathed. (Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:22px\">116 Missions, Never Hit<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anderson's combat record borders on the unbelievable. Over two tours escorting heavy bombers deep into occupied Europe, he flew 116 missions and logged roughly 480 combat hours. He shot down 16\u00bc enemy aircraft \u2014 the quarter-kill shared with another pilot \u2014 earning the rare distinction of triple ace. Only a handful of American pilots in the entire war achieved that status.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the statistic that defines Anderson isn't the kill count. It's this: across all 116 missions, neither his first P-51B nor his second P-51D \u2014 both named Old Crow \u2014 was ever struck by enemy fire. He never had to turn back for mechanical failure. He never aborted a mission. In a theatre where the average fighter pilot's life expectancy could be measured in weeks, Anderson flew through it all untouched.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His opponents included some of the Luftwaffe's best. He tangled with <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/messerschmitt-me-262\">Me 262<\/a> jet fighters, duelled with seasoned German aces, and flew long-range escort missions that pushed the Mustang to its fuel limits. Through it all, Old Crow brought him home.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:22px\">After the War<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anderson didn't stop flying after VE Day. He became a test pilot, wringing out jets at Edwards Air Force Base during the golden age of experimental aviation. He flew over 100 different types of aircraft in his career and logged more than 7,000 flight hours. He was decorated 25 times before retiring as a colonel in March 1972.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In retirement, he became aviation's most beloved ambassador. His memoir, <em>To Fly and Fight<\/em>, is considered one of the finest first-person accounts of air combat ever written. He appeared at airshows around the world, signed autographs for hours, and never tired of telling young people what it felt like to fly a Mustang at 400 miles an hour with a Messerschmitt on your tail.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:22px\">A Final Escort<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The flyover at Arlington was a fitting farewell. The F-35s represented the future of American air power \u2014 stealth, sensors, and digital warfare. The P-51s represented its soul. Anderson bridged both worlds. He started in a propeller-driven fighter with a gunsight and ended his career testing jets that broke the sound barrier.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the last Mustang passed overhead and the Merlins faded into silence, something irreplaceable went with it. There are no more WWII triple aces. Bud Anderson was the last \u2014 and Arlington is exactly where he belongs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: U.S. Air Force, Arlington National Cemetery, DVIDS, Stars and Stripes, National Air and Space Museum<\/em><\/p>\r\n\n\n<!-- mf-faq -->\n\n<div class=\"mf-faq-block\"><style>.mf-faq-block{margin:34px 0}.mf-faq-item:not([open]) .mf-faq-answer{display:none !important}.mf-faq-block h2.mf-faq-h{padding-top:22px;margin-bottom:14px}.mf-faq-item{border:1px solid #e2e8f5;border-radius:8px;margin:0 0 10px;background:#fff}.mf-faq-item summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:15px 50px 15px 18px;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;position:relative;line-height:1.45;user-select:none}.mf-faq-item summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mf-faq-item summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:18px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;color:#5C91FF;line-height:1}.mf-faq-item[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mf-faq-item[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f8}.mf-faq-item summary:hover{background:#f5f8ff}.mf-faq-answer{padding:14px 18px;color:#333;line-height:1.6}.mf-faq-answer p{margin:0}.mf-faq-answer a{color:#5C91FF}<\/style><h2 class=\"mf-faq-h\">Related Questions<\/h2><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Who was Bud Anderson?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Colonel Clarence E. \"Bud\" Anderson (1922\u20132024) was a celebrated American World War II fighter ace credited with 16\u00bc aerial victories, making him a triple ace. Flying the P-51 Mustang \"Old Crow\" with the 357th Fighter Group, he completed 116 combat missions and was never hit by enemy fire.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What aircraft did Bud Anderson fly?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Anderson flew a P-51 Mustang he named \"Old Crow,\" after his favourite bourbon. He served with the 363rd Fighter Squadron of the 357th Fighter Group, one of the most decorated units in the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/black-thursday-over-schweinfurt-the-b-17-raid-that-nearly-broke-the-eighth-air-force\/\">Eighth Air Force<\/a>, escorting bombers deep into Europe.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>How many aerial victories did Bud Anderson have?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Anderson was credited with 16\u00bc aerial victories, qualifying him as a triple ace. He achieved this across 116 combat missions in 1944 without ever being hit by enemy fire, a record of skill and luck that few pilots matched.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>When did Bud Anderson die?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Bud Anderson died on May 17, 2024, at age 102, reportedly America's last surviving triple ace of World War II. He was interred with full military honours at Arlington National Cemetery on March 30, 2026, with a flyover of F-35 Lightning IIs and P-51 Mustangs.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is a triple ace?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>A triple ace is a fighter pilot credited with at least 15 aerial victories, three times the five kills needed to become an ace. Anderson's 16\u00bc victories placed him among an elite group profiled in our <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/34-greatest-flying-aces-in-history-our-new-daily-series-starts-tomorrow\/\">series on history's greatest flying aces<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who was Bud Anderson?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Colonel Clarence E. \\\"Bud\\\" Anderson (1922\u20132024) was a celebrated American World War II fighter ace credited with 16\u00bc aerial victories, making him a triple ace. 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Anderson's 16\u00bc victories placed him among an elite group profiled in our <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/34-greatest-flying-aces-in-history-our-new-daily-series-starts-tomorrow\/\\\">series on history's greatest flying aces<\/a>.\"}}]}<\/script><!-- \/mf-faq -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quick Facts Who: Col. Clarence E. &#8220;Bud&#8221; Anderson (1922\u20132024) Record: 16\u00bc aerial victories \u2014 triple ace, 357th Fighter Group Aircraft: P-51 Mustang &#8220;Old Crow&#8221; Missions: 116 combat missions, never hit by enemy fire Ceremony: March 30, 2026, Arlington National Cemetery, Section 38 Col. Clarence E. &#8220;Bud&#8221; Anderson \u2014 16\u00bc aerial victories, 116 combat missions, never [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":155049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Bud Anderson: America&#039;s Last WWII Triple Ace Laid to Rest | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Col. 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