Victor N. Cabas

1920 - 2018

January 15, 1920 - August 26, 2018 One of the Last WWII Ace Fighter Pilots Passes Away Brigadier General Victor N. Cabas died Sunday, August 26, 2018 at home under the care of Torrance Hospice. Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, he was 98 years old and died from natural causes. General Cabas devoted his entire career of 32 years to the preservation of our freedom. He was highly decorated for his service to his country including 11 Distinguished Flying Crosses, Air Medal with 21 oak leaf clusters, the Distinguished Unit Citation, the Croix de Guerre avec Palme, Order of Leopold with palm and rosette, Croix de Guerre with cross, Belgian Fourragère, the Commendation Medal, King's Medallion and Battle of Britain Ribbon, U.S. Presidential Citation, and Canadian Battle Ribbon, maple leaf. He had 10 campaign stars for service in Europe, Africa and Korea. His battles include the Channel Dash, the Battle of Britain, the Dieppe Raid, North Africa, the Battle of the Bulge, D-Day at Normandy, Korea and Vietnam. Victor Cabas enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in March 1941 and served until 1942. While in the RCAF he had 51 flight missions over Europe and was said to have piloted Winston Churchill during the war. He joined the American Air Corps as a First Lieutenant after the U.S. entered World War II. He became one of the few American pilots to have flown a British Spitfire (his favorite of the 25 different planes he flew). Victor Cabas flew over 300 missions combined in WWII. He served with the 49th Fighter Squadron. He was an ace fighter pilot credited with downing five and a half German planes (including taking off from the airfield, engaging four German fighter planes, and shooting down one in sight of the base). He was downed by aerial and ground fire on two occasions. During the Korean War he became the Director of Operations for the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group and served as Chief, Reconnaissance Operations, for the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. During the Vietnam era he was assigned Commander of the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing from 1965-1967, preparing pilots to meet the demands of Southeast Asia. He transferred in1967 to the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in Southeast Asia. He was awarded his 3rd Distinguished Flying Cross at Udorn Air Force Base in Thailand and was decorated for the extraordinary achievement as an F-4 Phantom pilot during aerial flight over North Vietnam. Brigadier General Cabas had more than 3900 hours flight time by 1963 and more than 500 combat missions in all wars combined. He was said to have had as much aerial warfare as any man alive. He retired as a Brigadier General in December 1971. His family knew him as a disciplined but funny man who spoke fluent French. He spent his retirement in Southern California. Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Norma Needham Cabas of Rancho Palos Verdes; two stepchildren, Crystal Needham and Mark Needham; and one grandson, Jack Reader. His two children from his first marriage, Laurie-Anne Cabas Schmaltz, and Victor N. Cabas, Jr., are both deceased.