OPINION — At this year’s State of the Union, many Democrats remained seated as a 99-year-old Navy hero was recognized.
Captain Elmer Royce Williams fought one of the most extraordinary aerial battles in history. In 1952, flying an F9F Panther over Korea, he engaged seven Soviet MiG-15s — superior jets flown by Soviet pilots in a proxy war that might have widened. Alone for much of the fight, he shot down four. The mission was classified for decades to prevent escalation with Moscow. Only recently did he receive the Navy Cross he long deserved.
This could have been a unifying moment. Instead, partisan disregard overshadowed what should have been a tribute to courage. Not applause for a policy. Not endorsement of a president. Simple acknowledgment of valor — withheld.
