After these colorful postwar achievements, the jet ace sought assignment to flight testing in an effort to make rank.

On September 21 he shot down his fifth MiG, becoming the 20th "jet ace".

Gabreski himself scored 3 more kills to become a jet ace.

He also excelled in gunnery competition, a skill that without a doubt contributed greatly to his becoming the first and the only jet ace in one mission.

A month later he scored his fifth and sixth victories, making him the first American jet ace in history.

He became the fifth jet ace of the Korean War, credited with 6 1/2 enemy aircraft destroyed, seven probable, and six damaged.

James Jabara (1923-1966), the first American jet ace in history.

At the time of his return to the United States in October 1952, he was America's leading jet ace.

He has more than 650 hours combat flying and is the nation's sixth ranking jet ace.

He remains the top-scoring American jet ace in history.