Who was the only U.S. Marine ace of the Korean War?

John Bolt was the only U.S. Marine ace of the Korean War. More precisely, Major John Franklin Bolt became the sole Marine Corps pilot to achieve ace status during the conflict, which conventionally required five confirmed aerial victories.

Bolt was a World War II veteran and had already earned ace status after shooting down six Japanese aircraft while flying with the Marine Corps. During Korea, he served as an exchange pilot with the U.S. Air Force’s 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, part of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing. Flying an F-86 Sabre, he engaged MiG-15 jets over Korea rather than operating solely in the Marine close-support role.

On July 11, 1953, Bolt shot down two MiGs, bringing his Korean War total to six and making him the first Marine jet ace. This also made him one of the rare American pilots to become an ace in two separate wars. A common mix-up is Guy Bordelon, who was the U.S. Navy’s only ace of the Korean War; Bolt held the parallel distinction for the Marine Corps.