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The First American Sharpshooters
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Royce Williams
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Williams in 1973
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| Birth name | Elmer Royce Williams |
| Nickname | Royce |
| Born | 4 April 1925
Wilmot, South Dakota, U.S.
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| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Service years | 1943–1980 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands | USS Eldorado, CVW-11, VF-33[1] |
| Known for | Downing four Soviet MiG-15s in one engagement during the Korean War |
| Conflicts | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | |
| Alma mater | University of Minnesota |
Elmer Royce Williams[2] (born 4 April 1925) is a retired United States Navy (USN) naval aviator. He is known for his solo dogfight with seven Soviet pilots during the Korean War in 1952, which military experts have called “one of the greatest feats in aviation history”.[3] Originally awarded the Silver Star in 1953 for his conduct during the dogfight, in 2023 he was given an upgrade to the Navy Cross, the Navy’s second highest decoration. In 2026, Williams was awarded the Medal of Honor.[4] Williams is the last living Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War.[note 1]
Early life and military career
Royce Williams was born on 4 April 1925, and grew up in Wilmot, South Dakota and Clinton, Minnesota.[5] He and his brother aspired to become pilots; both enlisted during World War II, although Royce Williams’ flight training was deferred while he attended college in Minnesota. He qualified as a naval aviator at Pensacola in August 1945.[6]
He learned to fly the F9F-5 Panther jet and was assigned to active duty in the Korean War, during which he flew 70 missions.[3]
In 1952, then-Lieutenant Williams was serving with VF-781 aboard the USS Oriskany as part of Task Force 77. On 18 November 1952, on his second mission of the day, while on combat air patrol near Hoeryong, North Korea, his group of four pilots spotted seven MiG-15s overhead. Two of the other three pilots had to return to the carrier and the MiGs began attacking Williams, putting him into a 35-minute dogfight with seven MiG-15s.[7] It is believed to be the longest dogfight in U.S. Navy history.[3] Commanders on his carrier ordered him away, but Williams had to tell them that he was already fighting for his life.[8] He shot down four of the MiGs and likely hit two others.[9] By the end of the 35-minute period, only one of the MiGs was still in the air with him, and he managed to escape back to his carrier, out of ammunition and having lost his hydraulics. He was uninjured, but 263 holes were counted in his Panther jet. Some accounts state that he never saw the plane again as it was pushed into the sea.[7]
The story of his battle with the Soviet MiGs led to Williams being debriefed at the time by admirals, the Secretary of Defense, and a few weeks later by newly inaugurated President Dwight D. Eisenhower.[8] These authorities decided to cover up the specifics of the battle, because the Soviet Union was not officially a combatant in the Korean War and it was feared that publicity about the air battle would draw the Soviets further into the conflict. The dogfight was scrubbed from U.S. Navy and National Security Agency records, and Williams was sworn to secrecy about the incident—so much so that he never told anyone about it, not even his wife nor his pilot brother, until the Korean War records were declassified in 2002.[3] The record of the incident in Navy records said only that he shot down one enemy (not listed as “Soviet”)[8] plane and damaged another, for which he was awarded the Silver Star in 1953.[10]
However, the dogfight was recorded in Soviet archives which were released after the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. The Soviet records say that only one of four MiGs returned to base. A 2014 Russian book, Red Devils over the Yalu: A Chronicle of Soviet Aerial Operations in the Korean War 1950–53, describes the battle and mentions Williams. The four MiGs were flown by Soviet Naval Aviation pilots, with Captain Beliakov and Lieutenants Pakhomkin and Vandaev being shot down, and Lieutenant Pushkarev returning to base.[11]
In his book Holding the Line about Task Force 77, Thomas McKelvey Cleaver described the fight, saying “On November 18, 1952, Royce Williams became the top-scoring carrier-based naval aviator and the top-scoring naval aviator in a Navy jet of the ‘forgotten war’.” He added, “In the fight of his life, Royce Williams had accomplished what no other American fighter pilot would ever accomplish: shoot down four MiG-15s in one fight.”[6]
Between 1965 and 1967, he flew 110 missions in A-4 Skyhawks and F-4 Phantoms from the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War.[12] Williams was the commanding officer of the command ship USS Eldorado between September 1969 and January 1971.[2] He retired from the Navy as a captain in 1980. In retirement, he lives in Escondido, California.[9]
A 50+ year secret
Williams maintained his secrecy about his aerial feat for decades. After the information was declassified, he shared his story with close friends and spoke about it at small gatherings. His story first received national attention when the American Legion Magazine published a cover story in November 2017.
In the story, Williams detailed the aerial battle, his vow of secrecy and his other military service. Williams, a longtime member of The American Legion, also received support from the national organization. In August 2017, the Legion’s National Executive Committee approved Resolution 70, which calls for the Legion to petition Congress and the Department of Defense to award the Medal of Honor to recognize Williams.
Medal of Honor campaign
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In 2014, retired Rear Admiral Doniphan Shelton became aware of Williams’ feat, and he began an unsuccessful years-long campaign for the Navy or Department of Defense to recommend him for the Medal of Honor for his exploit. Shelton said that Williams’ heroism was “unmatched either in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or since then”.[13] On 14 July 2022, a bipartisan group of five congressmen persuaded the House of Representatives to approve an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act which would waive the statute of limitations for a potential Medal of Honor for Williams. The amendment and bill were approved for the House version of the bill, which were then forwarded to the United States Senate, which removed the provision in conference.[14][9][15]
In December 2022 Williams was awarded the Navy Cross as an upgrade of the Silver Star the Navy awarded him in 1953.[16] The award was approved by U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, who said, “Having reviewed the findings of now numerous investigations related to the case of Capt. Royce Williams, I have determined this case to be special and extraordinary. His actions clearly distinguished himself during a high-risk mission and deserve proper recognition.”[17]
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On 4 February 2026, Williams’ congressman Darrell Issa announced confirmation from President Donald Trump that Williams would be receiving the Medal of Honor.[18] The award was received at the 2026 State of the Union Address on 24 February 2026, presented by First Lady Melania Trump.[4] Following the awarding, Williams is the last living Korean War Medal of Honor recipient.[19]
Medal of Honor Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 18 November 1952 while leading a division of three jet fighters attached to Fighter Squadron SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE (VF-781) and embarked on the USS ORISKANY. While flying a combat patrol mission over the northeastern coastal waters of enemy-held North Korea, Lieutenant Williams demonstrated extraordinary heroism by intercepting a superior force of attacking enemy MiG-15 fighters in order to protect the ships of Task Force 77. After thwarting the enemy’s initial attack, he maneuvered his aircraft to make two firing passes on one MiG, which then spiraled into the sea. He inflicted heavy damage to a second MiG-15, which started smoking badly and retired from the fight. When his own aircraft was severely damaged by a direct hit from one of the remaining enemy MiG-15s, Lieutenant WIlliams evaded further enemy attack while continuing to direct the dogfight. He eventually found cover in a cloud bank, broke off the engagement, and miraculously landed his nearly uncontrollable aircraft on the USS ORISKANY. His exceptional airmanship, coupled with his complete disregard for his own personal safety, resulted in the destruction of three enemy MiG-15s and severe damage to a fourth, and undoubtedly saved the lives of hundreds of Task Force 77 sailors. By his undaunted courage, bold initiative, and total devotion to duty, Lieutenant Williams reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[20]
Awards and decorations
His medals include the Medal of Honor, the Legion of Merit with Combat “V” and two Distinguished Flying Crosses.[5][12]
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| Badge | Naval Aviator Badge | ||
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| 1st row | Medal of Honor | ||
| 2nd row | Legion of Meritwith “V” Device | Distinguished Flying Crosswith 5⁄16-inch star | Bronze Star Medal |
| 3rd row | Meritorious Service Medalwith 5⁄16-inch star | Air Medalwith 10 5⁄16-inch stars | Navy Commendation Medalwith “V” Device |
| 4th row | Navy Unit Commendationwith 1 Service star | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation | China Service Medal |
| 5th row | American Campaign Medal | World War II Victory Medal | Navy Occupation Service Medalwith ‘Asia’ clasp |
| 6th row | National Defense Service Medalwith 1 Service star | Korean Service Medalwith 3 Campaign stars | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal |
| 7th row | Vietnam Service Medalwith 4 Campaign stars | Korean Presidential Unit Citation | RVN Gallantry Cross Unit Citationwith Palm |
| 8th row | Korean Presidential Unit Citation | United Nations Service Medal Korea | Korean War Service MedalRetroactively awarded, 2003 |
Foreign awards
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| Order of Military MeritTaeguk Cordon Medal |
In popular culture
In 2020, a 20-minute documentary, Actions Speak Louder Than Medals – the Royce Williams Story, directed by John Mollison, was screened at the GI Film Festival, San Diego.[21] Captain Royce Williams dictated his life story to author W. Craig Reed for publishing in the book The 7 Secrets of Neuron Leadership, the only book in print with Royce’s full biographical life story. Reed lives near Royce and spent many nights on his balcony listening to his incredible “sea stories.” Royce notes that President Eisenhower convinced him to switch from bourbon to scotch, however, Reed introduced Royce to Monkey Shoulder scotch, which is now the only drink he prefers.
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Eric Slover
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CW5 Eric Slover receiving the Medal of Honor
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| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Rank | Chief Warrant Officer 5 |
| Unit | 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) |
| Conflicts | War in Afghanistan 2026 United States intervention in Venezuela |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Flying Cross (2) with one valor device Bronze Star (3) Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal (4) Air Medal (4) |
Eric Slover is a United States Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5) who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during Operation Absolute Resolve.[1] During the operation, Slover was a MH-47 Chinook pilot in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), colloquially known as the Night Stalkers.[2][3]
Military career
Slover enlisted in the Army in 2005. After completing basic training he attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school, becoming a Chinook pilot.[4]
Afghanistan
While assisting in a medical evacuation in the Badghis Province in November of 2009 with the 82nd Airborne Division, a helicopter Slover was piloting was pierced by a rocket-propelled grenade. The munition failed to explode and remained in the helicopter for the duration of the flight. After landing, Slover was the first off the Chinook to get explosives experts and help for the wounded. This medical evacuation mission was described in 2009 as one of the “biggest of the Afghan War”.[5][6]
Operation Absolute Resolve
During the American raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Slover was the flight lead in the cockpit of the first helicopter, a MH-47 Chinook. The helicopter came under severe machine-gun fire and Slover was hit four times in his leg and hip. Maintaining control of the aircraft despite his wounds, Slover safely landed the helicopter, allowing the operation to continue. Slover was awarded the Medal of Honor by US President Donald Trump at the 2026 State of the Union Address.[7] Slover was one of two men to receive the Medal of Honor during the address, alongside the 100-year-old US Navy Captain E. Royce Williams, a veteran of the Korean War.[8] This was the first time the Medal of Honor had been awarded at the State of the Union Address.[9]
Medal of Honor citation
Chief Warrant Officer Five Eric A. Slover distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, above and beyond the call of duty, on January 3, 2026, during a mission in Venezuela, in support of Operation Absolute Resolve. Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover piloted his MH-47 as the lead aircraft of the operation, tasked with executing a highly complex infiltration through hostile Integrated Air Defense Systems to safely deliver military forces. During ingress, Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover skillfully led the helicopter force through a dense jungle valley in a mountainous region, navigating marginal weather conditions, numerous topographical hazards, and near insurmountable surface to air threats. Upon touching down at the designated landing zone, Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover’s aircraft was immediately engaged by multiple machine gun positions at close range. The hostile fire resulted in 15 armor-piercing rounds entering his cockpit, with four rounds striking his leg. Despite the intense and effective enemy fire, and at great personal risk, Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover maintained his situational awareness and aircraft’s position in the line of fire to ensure the safe infiltration of the military forces. After the force disembarked, and despite suffering significant life-threatening injuries, Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover identified hostile heavy machine gun positions that were engaging his aircraft and targeting the ground forces. He maneuvered his aircraft to enable his door gunner to deliver effective fire, successfully neutralizing the threats. Chief Warrant Officer Five Slover’s heroic actions undoubtedly saved countless American lives and ensured the complete and overwhelming success of the mission. His gallantry under fire and extraordinary valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.[10]
Personal life
Slover is a graduate of the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies at Norwich University located in Northfield, Vermont.[11] His wife, Amy, blessed his dog tags with holy water before the mission that resulted in his Medal of Honor-winning actions.[12]
Awards
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References
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The original Cowtown had some whimsical stages including a gallows and a two-story hotel. Photo: “Deadeye Al”
Cowtown! The name itself makes a person want to don a pair of spurs and a 10-gallon hat! Just about everyone involved in cowboy-action shooting has heard of Cowtown. In fact, it is one of the cradles of the sport and continues to generate countless champions. So how did Cowtown start? Well, pull up a chair to the mesquite-wood fire and listen …
The Fire & Ice match at Cowtown is very popular and always
draws shooters from around the world. Photo: Alan “Cholla” Garbers
History
In the 1970s, Hollywood stuntman Ron Nix started building an 1880s movie set north of Peoria, Ariz.
Cowtown was born as the saguaro-studded hills and canyons made the perfect location for filming. The town was also a school to teach the craft of being stuntmen (or women). Historians say over 200 movies and television episodes were shot at Cowtown, including the classic Billy Jack films, the little-known film Knight Rider 2010 and Dead Man, an “acid” western starring Johnny Depp. There were even rodeo and rappelling events.
The location was the perfect backdrop for Civil War reenactments and provided an Old West experience for tourists, complete with staged shootouts and gun-
handling demonstrations. Nationally known fast-draw artists Bill Waller and Jim Martin frequently put on fast-draw shows in front of Cowtown audiences.
Waller, Martin and a group of friends were also enjoying frequent informal competition shooting “cowboy” guns in staged scenarios in the open desert not far from the small town of Cave Creek. As the group grew, they realized they needed to organize and become a proper club. In 1982, the Arizona Cowboy Shooters Association was born.
With the growing local excitement of cowboy-action shooting, it wasn’t long before Cowtown owner Ron Nix became aware of the Arizona Cowboy Shooters Association. It seemed like a perfect match to invite the group to compete at Cowtown.
An area was cleared in a canyon below the movie set for a shooting range. It was simple at first but kept growing. False-fronted buildings were erected and Nix donated other items to complete the ambiance. When the match was over, the shooters could celebrate their successes or drown their sorrows in the active saloon and restaurant in the movie set.
Along the way, there were a few growing pains and a new name was chosen — the Cowtown Cowboy Shooters Association.
The flooding in 2014 twisted and broke the buildings as well
as buried targets, tables, and props under many feet of debris.
Some were washed away. Photo: “Hells Comin”
The gates of Cowtown still commemorate shooter and caretaker Don Snow. Photo: Alan “Cholla” Garbers
Joining Forces
Lady Luck also played a hand in Cowtown. A group of shooters from California was looking to organize a cowboy-action shooters club in which people around the country and even the world could participate.
The two groups compared notes and decided to work together for mutual benefit. The Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) was born. The first sanctioned SASS match was held at Cowtown in September 1987. In a trend that continues today, many Cowtown shooters — including the top female shooter Gail Snow, aka Barbwire — dominated the top positions.
Gail and her husband, Don, became caretakers of the range. They made sure it was done if something needed doing, from setting up targets to writing stages. Through their hard work, Cowtown Shooters continued to grow.
The sport of cowboy action shooting kept growing and Cowtown became the location for the Arizona State Championships. Other big matches blossomed in the Sonoran Desert but things weren’t always coming up poppies and saguaro blossoms for Cowtown.
he author tries to live up to his alias “Cholla” at Cowtown.
Photo: Dianna Garbers
Tragedy and Triumph
In the late 1990s, a fire swept through some of the buildings. The City of Peoria had recently incorporated the area and condemned the remaining movie set buildings as they had not been built to code. Gone were the shops, the restaurant, the saloon and wide-eyed tourists. From the remains, a wooden cowboy — forever caught in agony — was pulled down to the range to remember what had once been.
In 2000, tragedy struck the Cowtown Shooter family. Don Snow passed away after a prolonged illness and the range had lost a guiding light. In memorial the cowboy range was rededicated as Fort Snow.
In 2014 torrential rains sent a flash flood raging down the canyons of central Arizona. The deluge engulfed the Cowtown range and decimated the mock buildings comprising the stages. Ironically, a church brought down from Nevada was the only building still standing.
Once the shock of the devastation wore off, SASS clubs from around the state and beyond pitched in to clear the rubble. Alums from around the world sent their support. Buildings used in the SASS Winter Range match were donated to Cowtown. Gail and the Swiss Kid worked to design new stages and a better flow pattern for the big games. Pulling together, Cowtown Alumni rebuilt the setting into what is seen today.
The cowboy-action range wasn’t the only thing changing. Under new ownership, Cowtown branched out. Now, hardly a day or night goes by when there isn’t some competition or training. From long-range matches to USPSA events, from steel matches to multi-gun matches, they even host John Wick-inspired Excommunicado events.
The gates of Fort Snow have seen shooters come and shooters go, but the camaraderie — and passion — for fun and excellence remain the same. While Cowtown has expanded to become one of the premier multipurpose ranges in the Southwest, it will always be remembered as the cradle of cowboy action shooting.
The late owner of Winchester had an affinity for the indestructible 21 despite its high manufacturing costs and low profitability
John Olin’s Winchester Model 21. NRA Museum
I didn’t grow up wealthy, and having spent decades writing about shotguns, I won’t retire that way either. But I will spend what’s left of my duck-hunting career shooting what I consider to be one of the most well-made double guns ever constructed—the Winchester Model 21.
Though Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company still makes this gun, and there are used versions of it that will fetch exorbitant prices, I was able to acquire one in my younger days. My uncle had passed away and left a piece of land to me, which I sold. I used the money to buy a used Winchester 21 Duck model. It had been lovingly restored, but I could tell it had a previous life in many a duck blind.
It has fixed full chokes, and I have shot it on ducks in Canada to clay birds at my home range here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It’s one of the best American break-action shotguns ever built, and it will never leave the comforts of my gun closet…except when I take it afield of course.
It was also the favorite double gun of John Olin, owner of Winchester. It was said that he loved this gun so much that he kept it in the Winchester lineup despite its high cost of construction and low profitability. Here is the story of one of the most iconic doubles in gun history.
Buying the Winchester 21
Being an ardent waterfowler, my first thought after the sale of my uncle’s land was to buy an A. H. Fox HE-Grade Super Fox, the gun made famous by the late Nash Buckingham.
Along with duck scribe Gordon MacQuarrie, Buckingham is my favorite author. The Super Fox has overbored barrels, tight chokes, and weighs more than 9 pounds. It is a fine gun for the duck blind, but I also wanted a double gun that I could carry in the uplands and break clays with.
An old friend, the late Michael McIntosh, wrote about the Winchester Model 21 in the early days of steel shot. He detailed its hard steel screw-in chokes that could handle the “new” non-toxic shells (21s with bored chokes are not safe for steel) and that the 21 only weighed 7 to 8 pounds (depending on the gauge and barrel length), making it a truly versatile double gun. So, I narrowed my search to a used Model 21, though I was never able to find one with the screw-in chokes.
The History of Winchester’s Model 21
Designed by J. T. Johnson, Edwin Pugsley, and George Lewis, the 21 was first marketed by Winchester in 1930 with double triggers and extractors and sold for $59.50.
The issue for Winchester at the time was it was on the brink of bankruptcy and had little money for advertising, much less the infrastructure to set up for production of the 21.
Much of this problem was solved when Franklin Olin and his sons Spencer and John, who owned the Western Cartridge Company, purchased Winchester at the bankruptcy sale and gave the company (and the 21) new life.
It has been long been said that the 21 might not have stayed long in production without John Olin’s persistence. This was further amplified by the rumors that Winchester never made much of profit on the Model 21 due to the high cost of production. But John Olin kept it in the lineup because it was a magnificent side-by-side without equal. And he wasn’t about to discontinue one of the most well-made firearms in American history.
Over the life of the Model 21 about 30,000 guns were made with an additional 1,000 or so from Winchester’s custom shop. It was chambered in 12-, 16-, 20-, and 28-gauge, plus .410. When Winchester’s name was licensed from the Olin Corporation by Browning, Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing (CSM) was sold the rights to manufacture Model 21s in their New Britain, Connecticut, facility, which they still do today.
The 21 was built to last. It was constructed of Winchester’s Proof Steel, a chrome-molybdenum alloy with a tensile strength of over 90 tons per square inch. During its development, a total of nine design patents were issued.
Unlike many other doubles of the day, the 21 does not have a rib extension but rather locks up by means of a thick, sturdy underbolt that is able to be tightened as the gun begins to shoot loose.
The barrels are forged as chopper lump barrels instead of being brazed. They are machined at the breech into a vertical dovetail design that are then pinned together, each carrying a half locking lug, that when joined and combined with the underlug, forms the ultra-strong lockup.
An Unbreakable Side-by-Side
One of the hallmark designs of the Model 21 is the flat junction of the barrels and action between the breech face and hinge pin. To further reinforce this area where the breech face meets the flats, there is an exterior arrowhead that’s part of the forging.
It wasn’t necessary for this work to be done in order to increase the life of the gun, but it is another indicator of Winchester’s desire to make a shotgun for the ages. The joining of the action and barrel was so strong that Winchester’s salesmen, who toured the major sport shooting events in the 1930s, would remove the top lever and locking bolt and simply hold the gun shut with their hands, or tie it closed with a piece of string, to showcase its strength.
John Olin went even further, directing the company to purchase one model each of the competing American doubles and British imports of the day, then subjected them all to a torture test.
The test included repeatedly firing proof loads—known as “blue pills”—loaded to one-and-a-half times the pressure (19,800 psi) of the hottest load on the market. The best competing gun lasted 305 shots. The 21 fired a total of 2,000 blue pills with no measurable damage.
The Single-Trigger Redesign
The original 21s had double triggers that were eventually replaced by an inertia-driven single-selective trigger. The major hurdle was all the existing single triggers didn’t work well, if at all. It took five iterations of a trigger design by Winchester’s Louis Stiennon before a truly reliable trigger was manufactured, for which he was awarded a patent for in 1931. From then on, every 21 came with this excellent single-selective trigger that was both reliable and highly functional.
All the 21s were mostly built the same, though some models did have receiver engravings and high-end wood for the stock and fore-end. They did make models labeled Trap, Skeet, and Duck, but they were all fairly similar except for stock dimensions and 3-inch chambers for the Duck version. Barrels were offered in lengths or 26, 28, 30 and 32 inches, and while the majority were choked Modified and Full, a customer could order one to their own choke specifications. The 21 was only made available through custom order starting in 1960 before being discontinued in the early 1990s.