Korean War Hero Earns Medal Of Honor For Secret Mission That Involved Lots Of Dead Soviets
Royce Williams shot down multiple Soviet fighter jets in a mission that was kept secret for decades.
Korean War hero Royce Williams is being awarded the Medal of Honor, and his actions are something not even Hollywood could have dreamed up.
Congressman Darrell Issa announced on Wednesday that President Donald Trump officially informed Williams of his MoH.
The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military award. It is only awarded for actions so heroic that oftentimes, the person earning it is killed.
Williams is still with us in 2026, and his once-secret actions are now out in the public.
Buckle up for one of the most insane war stories you'll ever hear.
Royce Williams secretly fought Soviet MiGs in 1952 over the South China Sea.
Williams is being awarded the Medal of Honor for an air battle against seven Soviet MiGs over the South China Sea in the Korean War in 1952.
The now 100-year-old Navy veteran took on all seven Soviet MiGs by himself, and successfully shot down four of them during a fight for his life that lasted 35 minutes, according to NBC San Diego. Williams' F9F-5 Panther fighter jet took significant damage and enemy fire during the unprecedented air battle between the Soviet Union and U.S. Navy. The damage included a 37-millimeter round directly to the fuselage, according to a release from Congressman Issa.
Williams was eventually able to get back to his aircraft carrier, and that's when the situation took a serious turn.
The government and military made the decision to keep his actions secret from everyone because they didn't want to acknowledge the Soviets were secretly in the war. His actions would become public for the first time in 2016.
Korean War hero Royce Williams is receiving the Medal of Honor for shooting down four Soviet MiGs in a secret air battle. (Credit: Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class T. Logan Keown/U.S. Military/Public Domain)
Taking on seven Soviet MiGs all by yourself is next-level incredible. Add in the fact the brutal, deadly and violent air battle lasted 35 minutes and it's impossible to wrap your mind around what happened.
I can't imagine how slow time was passing for Williams as he sat in the cockpit fighting for his life. Seconds must have felt like hours. Minutes must have felt like days as he tried to down as many Soviets as possible.
You think the "Top Gun" movies are neat? That's fiction. It's not real. What Williams did had an international impact as the Soviets had to come to terms with the fact a single American pilot took on an entire Soviet assault force and won.
The MiG-15 was also no joke. It was an incredibly impressive fighter jet for its time. I guess it was simply no match for Williams on the other end.
A look at the Grumman F9F Panther fighter jet that Royce Williams fought the Soviets with. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Lastly, Williams getting the Medal of Honor for a secret air battle 74 years later is a great reminder that a lot of stuff has happened the public has no idea about. I'm sure there are plenty of other stories to tell, and I certainly hope we hear about them. It's always a great day to celebrate America and our great military. Let me know your thoughts on Williams' heroics at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.