05/25/2026
Today we pause to remember the men and women who gave everything for this country and the freedoms we often take for granted.
At WPP Legacy Warbirds, every engine start, every flyover, and every story shared is rooted in honoring those who served before us. These aircraft are more than machines, they are living reminders of sacrifice, courage, and the generations who answered the call.
This Memorial Day, we remember the fallen, honor their families, and carry their legacy forward every time these warbirds take to the skies.
Freedom was never free. šŗšø
Notable Corsair pilots who were killed in action or died in the line of duty include:
Ensign Jesse L. Brown: The first African American aviator in the U.S. Navy. He died on December 4, 1950, during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War after his F4U Corsair was struck by anti-aircraft fire and he had to make a crash landing. His wingman, Thomas Hudner, was awarded the Medal of Honor for deliberately crashing his own Corsair in an attempt to rescue him.
Lt. Gordon Lyon Jr.: During the first aerial combat engagement of the F4U Corsair (the so-called "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre") in the Pacific on February 14, 1943, Lyon was killed when his Corsair collided midair with a Japanese Zero.
Lt. Col. Donald Paul Frame: The Commanding Officer of Marine Fighter Squadron 312 aboard the USS Bataan. He died on April 4, 1951, in North Korea after his F4U-4 Corsair was hit by anti-aircraft fire and he bailed out, striking his plane's tail section.
Ensign Maurice Alfred Tuthill: A U.S. Navy pilot with Fighter Squadron 113 aboard the USS Philippine Sea. He was killed in action on April 5, 1951, when his F4U-4 Corsair was struck by enemy fire over North Korea.
Lt. Robert L. Hopkins & Lt. Douglas Gutenkunst: Both were U.S. Marine and Navy pilots who died while flying missions over the fiercely contested Japanese stronghold of Rabaul in the Pacific Theater on January 30, 1944
