1st Lt Kenneth Walsh was the first F4U Corsair ace and a pilot in VMF-124 during the Solomon Islands campaign. He would earn his Medal of Honor over the course of two missions in August of 1943 and finish the war with 21 victories. In addition to Ken Walsh and VMF-124, this episode covers the development of the F4U Corsair and the initial moves of Admiral Halsey up the Solomon Island chain.  

Selected readings: 

Harnessing the Sky: Frederick "Trap" Trapnell, the US Navy's Aviation Pioneer, 1923-1952 by Frederick Trapnell Jr and Dana Tibbitts 

Corsair, the F4U in World War II and Korea by Barrett Tillman 

History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II by Robert Sherrod 

Time of Aces: Marine Pilots in the Solomons, 1942-1944 by Cdr Peter Mersky 

I can be reached at [email protected] Feedback and reviews are appreciated. Semper Fi, Kelly "Beavis" Ramshur