I'm Ken Harbaugh, host of Warriors in Their Own Words. In partnership with the

Honor Project, we've brought this podcast back at a time when our nation needs

these stories more than ever. Warriors, in their own words, is our attempt to present an

unvarnished, unsanitized truth of what we have asked of those who defend this nation.

Thank you for listening, and by doing so honoring those who have served.

Today, we'll hear from Major General Frederick Boots Blasey.

Blase served two tours as a fighter pilot during the Korean War flying the P-51, the F-80, and the F-86.

When he returned to the United States in October of 1952, he was America's leading jet ace and was credited with shooting down nine MIG-15s

and one L.A.9.

In this episode, the first of a three-part series,

Blasey describes Allied and enemy aircraft,

his second tour in Korea,

a couple of intense dogf fights and becoming an ace.

Okay, my name is Frederick C. Blessee, Major General, USAF. retired.

A lot of times I see Frederick C. and then parentheses boosts after it.

Everybody's called me boots my whole life, so.

Well, my father was a general in the army.

He was a doctor.

And when he'd come home from work, you know, in those days, they wore these boots and then puttees and all that kind of stuff.

Dad had come home and he'd take off his boots and then he'd put on some slippers

or something going to the living room and listen to the news

or read his newspaper.

...