Arthur Ray "Hawk" Hawkins was the U.S. Navy's 10th leading Ace with 14 Aerial Victories to his credit.
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Hawkins was born in Zavalla, Texas on December 12, 1922. At the age of 19 in 1942, he joined the Navy after the death of his brother, an Army Air Force fighter pilot, who was shot down in the South Pacific.
He was designated a Naval Aviator and commissioned an Ensign on January 1, 1943. He was then attached to VF-31 aboard USS Cabot (CVL-28) from January to October 1944.
While flying from Cabot in 1944, Hawkins was credited with 14 confirmed and three probable kills, all while flying F-6F Hellcats. His first victory was near Truk Islands on 29 April 1944 when, seconds after launch from Cabot, he shot down an attacking Japanese torpedo bomber.[1] He subsequently shot down three enemy aircraft on June 19 during the Marianas Turkey Shoot, one aircraft on July 8 during the Battle of Guam, 5 aircraft on September 13 near Mindanao Philippines, and 4 enemy aircraft on September 21 during the Battle of Luzon Philippines. Hawkins volunteered for a second tour of duty aboard USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) from June 1945 through October 1945 when VF-31 was dissolved. Hawkins' war record included destroying 39 aircraft on the ground and assisting in the sinking of a battleship.[2] He was awarded the Navy Cross (3 awards), the Distinguished Flying Cross (3 awards), and three Air Medals.[3] After the war, Lt Hawkins was selected to fly with the US Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team from 1948, flying the Grumman F8F Bearcat piston aircraft, through 1950 flying the Grumman F9F-2 Panther jet aircraft.
When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the Blue Angels were dissolved, with the majority of the pilots forming the VF-191 Satan's Kittens. Hawkins served as the squadron's Executive Officer, flying 40 combat missions from the deck of USS Princeton (CV-37), and participating in the first carrier-based jet bombing mission of the war.
After the Korean War, the Blue Angels were re-formed and Lt Cmdr. Hawkins was recalled as their flight leader from 1952 through 1953. During this time, he was the first pilot to survive ejection from a supersonic aircraft.[4][5]
In the 60's, he commanded NAS Atsugi in Japan, where he worked to recover Japanese family artifacts lost during World War II. For this work, he was awarded the Emperor of Japan Third Order of the Sacred Treasure, which is the highest Japanese award ever given to a foreign military officer.
Ray Hawkins retired from the US Navy as a Captain in 1973 and subsequently worked with the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida, retiring in 1997 as chief of staff.
In 1984 Captain Hawkins was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2006, Captain Hawkins was inducted into the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor. Arthur Ray Hawkins died on March 21, 2004 in Pensacola, Florida.