William P. Driscoll

William "Willy" "Irish" Driscoll (born March 1947) is a former United States Navy Flight Officer who received the Navy Cross during the Vietnam War for his role in an aerial dogfight with North Vietnamese MiGs. He and Naval Aviator Randy "Duke" Cunningham became the Navy's only two flying aces during the war.

Driscoll was born in 1947 and received a BA in Economics from Stonehill College, North Easton, Massachusetts in 1966 and a MS in System Management from University of Southern California in 1978.

Lt.(jg) Driscoll joined the Naval Reserve in 1968 and received his Naval Flight Officer wings in 1970. He served as a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) with pilot "Duke" Cunningham; they became the Navy's only two flying aces during the Vietnam War flying F-4 Phantom II jets off the aircraft carrier USS "Constellation" in Squadron VF-96, "The Fighting Falcons".

Their third, fourth and fifth kills occurred during a single day, May 10, 1972. Having bombed their intended ground target, Cunningham and Driscoll engaged North Vietnamese MiGs. After shooting down two MiG-17s, they became separated from the other aircraft in their strike package. The pair headed for the coast where they spotted a lone North Vietnamese MiG-17. This final engagement was to become one of the most celebrated aerial dogfights in the war.

Driscoll was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on May 10, 1972 when he shot down three of the sixteen MiG interceptors that converged on a US bomber convoy attacking a railyard in Hai Duong – his fighter was then hit by a missile, and he managed to help the pilot bring it to the Gulf of Tonkin where both ejected and awaited their rescue. During the course of the war he garnered two Silver Stars, a Purple Heart, 10 Air Medals, and was nominated for the Medal of Honor.

Driscoll later became an instructor at the Navy's Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) at NAS Miramar, in San Diego, California. He resigned from active duty in 1982, and currently works in real estate in San Diego County, though he continues to serve as a consultant.

External links

* [http://www.willydriscoll.com/ http://www.willydriscoll.com - Driscoll's personal web page]