(NAF gets permission to honor World War 2 Ace)…Admiral J.M. Richardson, the Chief of Naval Operations, approved the request.
The Naval Air Facility El Centro will name its airfield after legendary WW2 ace Commander Alexander Vraciu. The installation will begin planning to officially christen the airfield Vraciu Field and commemorate the occasion next year. The airfield was previously unnamed. Vice Admiral Mary M Jackson, Commander of the Navy Installations Command, endorsed the request by saying Commander Vraciu exemplified the Navy Core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment throughout his career. Vraciu earned himself the one time designation of top scoring Navy fighter ace for over three months in 1944 and the enduring title of fourth ranked US Navy fighter ace of all time, having accumulated nineteen aerial victories in his lifetime.