Navy Capt. Royce Williams, who shot down four Soviet MiG-15bis fighters in a 38-minute dogfight during the Korean War, will receive the Medal of Honor nearly 70 years after the historic engagement. The battle, which took place on November 18, 1952, over the Soviet Far East, remains the longest dogfight in U.S. military history.

Williams' heroics were classified and kept secret for decades due to political pressure to maintain ceasefire negotiations with the USSR. The U.S. Navy pilot's engagement was so sensitive that gun camera footage was confiscated by the newly formed NSA and conveniently lost. Even the official Navy After Action Report was sanitized under pressure from Washington.

After years of lobbying efforts, including support from Congressman Darrell Issa, Williams was previously awarded the Navy Cross. President Trump personally informed the 100-year-old veteran on February 4, 2026, that he will receive the nation's highest military honor. Williams' story, which remained classified until 1992, demonstrates extraordinary airmanship and combat tactics against technologically superior enemy aircraft.