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:

World War II ace pilots Col. Clarence "Bud" Anderson (100) and Cmdr. Dean "Diz" Laird (101) took nostalgic flights in a vintage Boeing Stearman PT-17 biplane.
The flights were organized by Dream Flights, a non-profit dedicated to honoring veterans and seniors by providing them with free flights in WWII-era biplanes.
Both Anderson, a Triple Ace, and Laird, the only Navy pilot to shoot down German and Japanese aircraft, are celebrated heroes who also shared a high school friendship.

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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.