Today in Aviation History: Captain Richard S. “Steve” Ritchie Becomes the First U.S. Air Force Ace of the Vietnam War

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Today in Aviation History: Captain Richard S. “Steve” Ritchie Becomes the First U.S. Air Force Ace of the Vietnam War - Vintage Aviation News

On August 28, 1972, Captain Richard S. “Steve” Ritchie became the first U.S. Air Force pilot to achieve ace status during the Vietnam War. Flying the F-4 Phantom with WSO Captain Charles DeBellevue, Ritchie tallied five confirmed kills, marking a historic milestone in American aerial combat and...

vintageaviationnews.com

On this day in aviation history, 53 years ago (August 28, 1972), Captain Richard S. “Steve” Ritchie became the first United States Air Force pilot to achieve ace status during the Vietnam War. In total, five American airmen earned the distinction of ace during the conflict—two pilots and three Weapon Systems Officers (WSOs). Ritchie, along with U.S. Navy aviator Randall “Duke” Cunningham, were the only pilots to reach the milestone. Richard Stephen Ritchie was born in 1942 in Reidsville, North Carolina. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1964 and went on to complete pilot training, initially preparing to fly the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Instead, he transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II—a fateful change that would define his combat career.