On board the aircraft carrier Lexington, Lt. j.g. Alexander Vraciu holds up six fingers to signify his "kills" during the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" on 19 June 1944. (National Archives) Lt. j.g.

Alex Vraciu, a fighter pilot who became one of the Navy’s top flying aces during World War II, once downing six Japanese planes in eight minutes during a battle dubbed the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, ...

An error has occurred. Please try again. With a Centralmaine.com subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. It looks like you do not have any active ...

Lt.(jg) Alexander Vraciu in his F6F after the "Mission Beyond Darkness", Battle of the Phillipine Sea, June 20, 1944. Alex Vraciu, one of the most acclaimed World War II Navy fighter pilots, died ...

Indiana has begun preparations for its bicentennial birthday party next year—200 years of statehood. On the cusp of Indiana’s celebration it is an appropriate time to study and enjoy our Hoosier ...

On Dec. 14, 1944, in the sky over the Philippines, it looked as if luck had run out for pilot Lt. Alex Vraciu, a top World War II fighter ace. Famous for numerous exploits — including shooting down ...

Alex Vraciu, one of the most acclaimed World War II Navy fighter pilots, died January 29, 2015 at the age of 96. Born Alexander Vraciu in East Chicago, Ind., the youngest of two children to Romanian ...