Alexander Vraciu was a United States Navy fighter ace, Navy Cross recipient, and Medal of Honor nominee during World War II. At the end of the war, Vraciu ranked fourth among the U.S. Navy's flying aces, with 19 enemy planes downed during flight and 21 destroyed on the ground. After the war, he served as a test pilot and was instrumental in forming the post-war Naval and Marine Air Reserve program. From 1956 to 1958 Vraciu led his own fighter squadron, VF-51, for twenty-two months. He retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of commander on December 31, 1963. Vraciu later moved to Danville, California, and worked for Wells Fargo.
Vraciu after the Battle of the Philippine Sea, June 20, 1944
Vraciu at DePauw University
Captain E. W. Litch presenting Lieutenant Junior Grade Alexander Vraciu, with the Distinguished Flying Cross on June 5, 1944.
Lt. Alex Vraciu uses his hands to indicate his downing of six aircraft on June 19, 1944. All were Yokosuka D4Y "Judies".
East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 26,370 at the 2020 census. Centered around heavy industry, the city is home to the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, an artificial freshwater harbor characterized by industrial and manufacturing activity.
Image: Indianapolis Blvd in East Chicago
Image: Ameristar Casino East Chicago 2022
Image: Indiana Harbor
The Indiana Harbor Peninsula