Sandboxx News Pic of the Day: The first Blue Angels

Throwback Thursday: The first Blue Angels (established in 1946) pilots were Naval Advanced Training Command flight instructors with wartime experience flying the F6F Hellcat, so it was a natural fit for the exhibition team to fly the venerable World War II fighter in its early exhibitions. Lt. Cmdr. Roy M. “Butch” Voris was their first officer-in-charge and flight leader. Voris earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses, 11 Air Medals, three Presidential Unit Citations and a Purple Heart while earning “ace” status with eight fighter-to-fighter kills in the Pacific in World War II.

National Naval Aviation Museum