Colonel, U.S. Army Air Corps
In 1944, General George Kenney arranged for famed pilot Charles A. Lindbergh to visit and fly with the 475th Fighter Group. He was able to teach the P-38 pilots to increase their operational range by 50 percent, and during his stay, Lindbergh and MacDonald became good friends, famous for one dangerous exploit.
“Mac” MacDonald was from Dubois, Pennsylvania and entered the U.S. Army Air Corps pilot training program after graduating from LSU in 1938. He received his wings and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 18th Pursuit Group at Wheeler Field, Hawaii, when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941.
Stationed in New Guinea with the 475th Fighter Group, “Mac” became an ace on November 9, 1943. Lieutenant Colonel MacDonald led the group for 20 months flying his P-38, “Putt-Putt-Maru,” with the unit number 100.
A typical mission for MacDonald’s P-38 “Lightning” aircraft was flying escort for B-24 Liberator bombers over Rabaul. When Japanese A6M Zeros attacked the bombers, MacDonald and his flight darted in and out of the bomber formation, clearing the Zeros from the bombers’ tails and preventing the loss of many bombers.
On July 28, 1944, Lindbergh flew on a routine mission with MacDonald. However, this "uneventful" mission became a sticky situation. A Japanese fighter broke through their formation and set his sights on Lindbergh's P-38. They were on a collision course, guns blazing from both airplanes, when at the last moment, Lindbergh pulled up. The wounded Japanese fighter could not follow and dove into the sea.
MacDonald flew sorties over the Philippine Islands and shot down 13 of his kills in the seven weeks between November 1944 and January 1945. He scored his last victory on March 13, 1945 and finished the war with 27 confirmed victories. This established MacDonald as the third highest-ranking U.S. Army fighter pilot of the Pacific Theater.
MacDonald returned to the United States in July 1945 where he served in various staff and command assignments. He retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel in July 1961. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal.
Colonel MacDonald died on March 3, 2002.