Legendary fighter pilot and first US ace of the Vietnam War Randy “Duke” Cunningham passed away the afternoon of Aug. 27, 2025 at the age of 83 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
He was born 8 Dec 1941 in Los Angeles.
Cunningham has been in and out of the hospital for the eight months with heart problems and other issues.
Cunningham was a retired US Navy commander and former F-4 Phantom pilot in VF-96, who along with his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) Willy “Irish” Driscoll was the first US ace of the Vietnam War.
He was an officer and pilot in the United States Navy for 20 years.
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