Why Dean “Diz” Laird Is A Legend In The U.S. Navy

At 91, Dean "Diz" Laird is still tall, sharp and confident. — Sean M. Haffey

WWII Pilot Defeated German And Japanese Foes -- UT San Diego

Ace played role when San Diego became naval aviation "center of universe".

Dean “Diz” Laird is a legend, the only known U.S. Navy ace to shoot down both German and Japanese planes during World War II. Despite close calls — once, his shot-up plane skidded across an aircraft carrier’s flight deck — Diz possessed a fighter pilot’s essential attribute: Supreme self-confidence.

“It never entered my mind that I would ever get shot down,” he said. “I thought I was too good.”

Now a Coronado resident, this Northern California native was a bit player in global drama. He saw the transformation of the Navy and its tactics, a transformation that also changed the service’s key West Coast port.

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