Up for auction the "F-86 ACE" Major James Low Hand Signed TLS.
ES-9298
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant James Frederick Low (AFSN: FR-23194/NSN: 5598369), United States Air Force, for gallantry in action against an armed enemy as Pilot of an F-86 aircraft, 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing, FIFTH Air Force, on 2 December 1952. Lieutenant Low was flying wingman in a flight of four F-86s on a fighter sweep deep in North Korea when his flight sighted enemy aircraft attacking a friendly flight. He was given permission to attack the enemy craft and immediately launched a vertical diving attack, breaking away from his flight. Although outnumbered two-to-one, Lieutenant Low attacked the enemy aircraft with such ferocity that they were forced to break off their action against the friendly aircraft and take the defensive. By superb airmanship, he retained the initiative, and closing to 2,000 feet range of the leading MiG-15, commenced firing. Relentlessly pursuing his objective in spite of the imminent threat from the other MiG in flight, he followed the enemy through violent evasive maneuvers and scored numerous hits in the engine section of the craft. The MiG-15 began to smoke profusely, and went into a steep dive, with Lieutenant Low still in pursuit. At 2,000 feet the enemy pilot ejected and the MiG crashed and exploded on a hillside. By his extreme daring in the face of numerically superior odds, and by his unusual skill and aggressiveness, Lieutenant Low was credited with the destruction of one enemy MiG-15, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself, the Far East Air Forces and the United States Air Force.