[Edward C. Outlaw oral history interview]

Fighter ace Edward C. Outlaw discusses his military service with the United States Navy during World War II. He describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot, including his time with Fighting Squadron 32 (VF-32) in the Pacific Theater. Special focus on a combat mission over Truk Atoll on April 29, 1944 in which Outlaw’s flight encountered a large group of Japanese fighter aircraft. Outlaw downed five enemy aircraft on the mission, and his flight was credited with a total of 21 confirmed aerial victories.

Edward C. Outlaw was born on September 29, 1914 in Greenville, North Carolina. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1935 and, after a tour of duty aboard the USS Indianapolis (CA-35), earned his Naval Aviator designation in 1938. In 1943, following assignments with Scouting Squadron 6 (VS-6) and Escort Scouting Squadron 11 (VGS-11), Outlaw became commanding officer of Fighting Squadron 32 (VF-32). The squadron served aboard the USS Langley (CVL-27) and USS Cabot (CVL-28), flying missions over Micronesia, the Northern Mariana Islands, and other areas of the Pacific Theater. Remaining in the military after the war, Outlaw went on to hold a number of command and staff positions, including serving as commanding officer of Air Group Six and captain of the USS Duxbury Bay (AVP-38) and USS Intrepid (CV-11). During the Vietnam War, he commanded Carrier Division One and Task Force 77. Outlaw retired as a rear admiral in 1969 and passed away in 1996.