Lieutenants Swede Vejtasa (right) and Dave Pollock of Fighting Squadron 10 aboard USS Enterprise in October 1942, shortly before the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
Nickname(s)
Swede
Born
(1914-07-27)27 July 1914 Paris, Montana, US
Died
23 January 2013(2013-01-23) (aged 98)
Allegiance
United States
Service/branch
United States Navy
Years of service
1937–1970
Rank
Captain
Commands held
USS Firedrake (1959–1960) USS Constellation (1962–1963) Naval Air Station Miramar (1965–1968)
Battles/wars
World War II
Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
Korean War
Awards
Navy Cross (3) Legion of Merit Bronze Star (2) Meritorious Service Medal
Stanley Winfield "Swede" Vejtasa (27 July 1914 – 23 January 2013) was a United States Navy career officer and World War II flying ace.[1][2] During the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, he was credited with downing seven Japanese aircraft in one mission, becoming an "ace in a day".[3]
^"Swede Vejtasa: In Memoriam". Naval Aviation News. 9 May 2013. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
^"Stanley W. Vejtasa". veterantributes.org.
^"Swede Vejtasa Bags Seven at Santa Cruz Islands". Naval Aviation News. 3 August 2012. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
Stanley Winfield "Swede" Vejtasa (27 July 1914 – 23 January 2013) was a United States Navy career officer and World War II flying ace. During the Battle...
criticised the Thach weave. One of the most notable among them was USN ace SwedeVejtasa, who claimed that it is ineffective when faced with experienced attacking...
escorting Zeros shot down four Yorktown SBDs. One of the survivors, SwedeVejtasa, claimed three Zeros during the onslaught (though none were lost). The...
the first Marine to claim ace in a day. On 26 October 1942, Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa, a United States Navy (USN) aviator, downed seven Japanese planes in...
aggressive attitudes to the fighters that attacked them. SBD pilot Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa was attacked by three A6M2 Zero fighters; he shot down two of them and...
including during the Battle of Coral Sea. On 8 May 1942, Pilot Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa claimed three A6M Zeroes shot down when his scouting squadron was pressed...
their attacks on Hornet. Although the U.S. CAP, including fighter pilot SwedeVejtasa, was able to shoot down or damage several dive bombers (the formation...
Unger, 5 awards Matt Urban Stephen Urban Leon L. Van Autreve, 3 awards SwedeVejtasa SFC Patrick B. Treffery John Vessey, 2 awards Jonas Vilhauer William...
Navy Cross. During the battle of the Coral Sea, SBD pilot Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa was attacked by three A6M2 "Zero" fighters; he shot down two of them...
Military Times. "Milton Norwood Vedder". Military Times. "Stanley Winfield Vejtasa". Military Times. "Clinton Dermott Vincent". Military Times. "Merriwell...
in a Douglas SBD Dauntless (SBD) dive bomber of future fighter ace SwedeVejtasa during the attack on Shōhō and filmed the naval battle unfolding below...
Global Information
United States
United States Navy