US Navy

Heated moments

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US. Ensign Ardon Rector Ives #382583 of Rockford, Mich., appears to be calmly unbuckling his seat belt and readying to escape from his burning Grumman F6F-5 'Hellcat' of VF-9 fighter carrier group. His fighter burst into flames when it hit a barrier and other planes while landing on the USS Lexington (CV-16) on February 25 1945. Ardon Ives was KIA in a dogfight with Japanese fighters just a few weeks later on March 18 1945, aged 23. (Initially classified as MIA until May 22 1945) Ensign Ardon Rector Ives, United States Navy, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a Fighter Pilot embarked in U.S.S. Yorktown from 16 February 1945 to 18 March 1945. He is buried in his home town of Rockford, Kent County, Michigan. (Photo source - US Navy) (Colorized by Paul Kerestes from Romania) taken from fb/Places of War