Manuel J. Fernandez

Manuel John Fernandez, Jr.
Capt. Manuel J. Fernandez, Jr. of the 334th Fighter-Intercepter Squadron became the third highest ace in the Korean War with 14 1/2 kills.
Nickname(s)	Pete
Born	(1925-04-19)April 19, 1925 Key West, Florida
Died	October 18, 1980(1980-10-18) (aged 55) Grand Bahama Island, The Bahamas
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1943–1963
Rank	Major
Unit	334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter-Interception Group, 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, Fifth Air Force
Battles/wars	World War II Berlin Airlift Korean War
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross (2) Air Medal (2)
Other work	1956 Bendix Trophy Air Race winner

Manuel John "Pete" Fernandez, Jr. (19 April 1925 – 18 October 1980) was the third-leading American and United States Air Force ace in the Korean War. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in Korea on March 21, 1953.

Pete Fernandez was born in Key West, Florida on 19 April 1925. His grandparents emigrated from Spain and spent some years on the island of Cuba before finally arriving in the United States. Fernandez was raised in a working-class environment in Miami. His father, an early amateur radio enthusiast, became chief radio operator for Pan American World Airways. Pete grew up immersed in aviation and learned to fly before he could drive, earning his private pilot’s license at age fifteen. He graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in Miami, Florida in 1943.

Fernandez enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 23, 1943. On November 5, though small in stature and just a high school graduate, he entered the Aviation Cadet Program. On November 20, 1944, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and received his pilot wings through talent, determination and the enormous manpower needs of total war. In the first of many aerial teaching jobs, Fernandez served as a pilot instructor in Midland, Texas, then in San José, Guatemala and Panama, seeing no combat action during the war.

He re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served during the Berlin Airlift in 1948-1949. A member of the 23rd Fighter Squadron, 36th Fighter Group since November 1946, his squadron stationed at Howard Field in Panama was sent to Furstenfeldbruck AB (air base), Germany to provide fighter cover for the slow transport aircraft that were the aerial supply operation's backbone. The 36th Fighter Group was conveyed to Europe by the carrier USS Sicily to the port of Glasgow, Scotland. The USAF Lockheed F-80 jets the group flew were assembled at Renfrew Airport and then flown to Europe. He served afterwards as a pilot instructor at Nellis AFB in Nevada and Randolph AFB in Texas.