Foil: 17 Panel: 2 Column: 3 Line: 47

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

LCDR W.H. Ritzmann, Jr., USN (Ret) was born September 6, 1932. He was designated a United States Naval Aviator, V-9268, on June 8, 1956.
He was a pilot of all-weather single-engine, propeller driven, tail-wheeled aircraft during the great transition of the United States Navy from hydraulic catapults and barricades that equipped axial deck aircraft carriers, to the steam catapults and angled deck of super aircraft carriers operating all weather single engine jet propelled aircraft.
During his naval service he accumulated 495 arrested landings on 16 different aircraft carriers, part of which accumulated from 160 combat missions in Southeast Asia. He was awarded fifteen Strike Flight Air Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal, with Combat “V”, and the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.
He later participated in flying experimental aircraft from an aircraft carrier, and in the recreation of the attack sequences, for the 20th Century Fox documentary file of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, “Tora Tora Tora”.