Two Legendary Ace World War II Pilots Return to the Skies

The pair of centenarian veterans had their wishes granted to fly one last time.

Kimberly Johnson

Monday, July 04, 2022 at 09:29 AM ET

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Retired U.S. Navy 'Ace of Two Oceans' Commander Dean 'Diz' Laird, 101, gets set for takeoff. [Courtesy: Dream Flights]

Key Takeaways:

Two legendary World War II ace pilots, Col. Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson (100) and Cmdr. Dean "Diz" Laird (101), experienced a "last flight" in a vintage Boeing Stearman PT-17 biplane.
The special flights were organized by Dream Flights, a non-profit dedicated to honoring veterans and seniors with flights in WWII-era biplanes.
Both pilots are highly decorated heroes: Anderson achieved 16 victories in Europe, and Laird is the only Navy pilot to shoot down both German and Japanese aircraft.
Anderson and Laird, who have been friends since attending Auburn High School together, were celebrated for their extraordinary military careers.

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Two legendary ace World War II pilots had their wishes granted this week, climbing into the open cockpit of a Boeing Stearman PT-17 biplane for one last flight.

Retired U.S. Air Force Triple Ace Col. Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson, 100, and retired U.S. Navy “Ace of Two Oceans” Cmdr. Dean “Diz” Laird, 101, were treated to Thursday’s flights at Auburn Municipal Airport (KAUN) near Sacramento, California, in the vintage military trainer operated by Dream Flights.