A 100-year-old Navy veteran whose wartime heroics were kept secret for decades is set to receive the nation’s highest military decoration, more than 70 years after a daring dogfight over North Korea.Capt. Royce Williams will be awarded the Medal of Honor by President Donald Trump for his actions on Nov. 18, 1952, when he engaged seven MiG 15 fighter jets during the Korean War. During a 35-minute battle, Williams shot down at least four of the Soviet-built aircraft and is believed to have damaged two others before running out of ammunition and returning to his aircraft carrier.

Williams was not injured. When his damaged Panther jet landed on the USS Oriskany, crew members counted 263 bullet holes in the aircraft.

At the time, U.S. military officials believed the MiGs were flown by Soviet Union pilots. Because the Soviet Union was not officially involved in the Korean Conflict, the encounter was classified to avoid revealing Soviet participation and risking a broader war. As a result, Williams’ actions were kept secret for decades, limiting public recognition of his achievement.

He was initially awarded the Silver Star, which was later upgraded to the Navy Cross. This February, officials announced that the Navy Cross would be elevated to the Medal of Honor.

Williams received his Navy flight training in Pensacola in 1945, part of a wave of aviators who trained along the Gulf Coast during World War II. He began his aviation training in a Navy N3N biplane, a primary trainer widely used during the war.

In July 2025, Williams returned to Pensacola to participate in the annual Veterans Flight. On July 11, 2025, he took to the skies once again in a 1941 N3N biplane owned by the City of Foley. The aircraft, acquired in 2024, is part of Foley’s efforts to commemorate its designation as an American World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service.

Pilot Phil Webb, a retired Navy aviator, flew Williams during the event.

“He enjoyed the flight immensely — as did I! It was a true honor getting to fly with him as I had heard about his exploits in 1952,” Webb said.

Webb said Williams specifically asked to fly in the Foley N3N, the same type of aircraft in which he began his training during World War II.

“It's about time! And so well worth it and deserved,” Webb said. “His dogfight against seven Russian MiGs is nothing short of miraculous! That he is even here to tell the story is a testament to his skill and abilities as a fighter pilot of the first magnitude.”

For Webb, the opportunity carried deep personal meaning.

“It was the supreme honor of my flying career,” Webb said. “I cannot emphasize that enough! A true honor to be able to fly with him!”

Williams signed one of the wheel hubcaps on Foley’s N3N. His name has since been added to the side of the aircraft to commemorate the flight, Webb said.

Several vintage military aircraft participated in the Veterans Flight, an annual event honoring those who served.

Foley’s connection to Navy aviation dates to 1942, when the Navy established a training center for aviators at Barin Field. More than 5,700 aviation cadets were trained there in its first two years of operation. The city’s World War II Heritage City designation recognizes its contribution to the war effort and its continued efforts to preserve that history. Only one city in each state or territory may receive the designation from the National Park Service.

City officials are now building a museum to commemorate Foley’s role in World War II and its history of Navy aviation training, which began in 1942. The N3N biplane serves as a flying tribute to that legacy and to aviators like Williams, whose extraordinary combat record remained hidden for generations.
More than seven decades after a classified dogfight over North Korea, Williams’ story is no longer secret. Soon, it will be marked with the Medal of Honor.