Rex Barber continued to contest Lanphier's claim, mainly in military circles and publications, until his death in 2001. Lieutenant Julius Jacobson, another pilot on the mission, remarked in 1997, "There were 15 of us who survived, and as far as who did the effective shooting, who cares?" Donald Rice, the then secretary of the Air Force, commented in 1993, "Historians, fighter pilots and all of us who have studied the record of this extraordinary mission will forever speculate as to the exact events of that day in 1943. There is glory for the whole team." Legacy The Yamamoto killing has been the subject of extensive historical and legal discussion in military, political and academic circles. Following the 2020 killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the Yamamoto killing was cited by senior U.S. officials as a precedent. Various major media and noted pundits also singled out the Yamamoto killing as the relevant comparison, including The New York Times, who reported that the Yamamoto killing was "the last time the United States killed a major military leader in a foreign country" prior to the Soleimani killing. Notes References Contains interview with Besby Frank Holmes. Contains another interview with Besby Frank Holmes. Further reading – obituary on the death of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Holmes. transcript and audio recording: "Rex Barber, Louis Kittel and Throck Chandler Oral History Conversation" (attack pilots in shootdown), National Museum of the Pacific War, undated External links Yamamoto's Plane Wreck footage of wreck published in 2015 (YouTube) Conflicts in 1943 Imperial Japanese Navy Isoroku Yamamoto Military history of Japan during World War II Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II 1943 in the Solomon Islands Aerial operations and battles of World War II involving the United States Battles and operations of World War II involving the Solomon Islands 20th-century aircraft shootdown incidents April 1943 events