<p>A U.S. Navy Grumman F4F-4 <i>Wildcat</i> of Fighting Squadron VF-11 nosed up on landing near Henderson Field following a fight with Japanese Mitsubishi A6Ms in July 1943. According to VF-11 Historian Henk Van der Lugt, "The plane LT (JG) John W. Ramsey flew in was an F4F-4 Wildcat BuNo: 02037 , bort nr: F27 , he shot down two Japanese fighters at Guadalcanal , probably two "Zero's".  It is likely this plane clearly stamped F27 is LT Ramsey's plane since he was with VF-11 at Henderson Field during the time of this photo. In the Navy's Bureau of Naval Personal Informational Bulletin October 1943 on page 48, the following interview with Lt Ramsey is as follows:
</p><p>Excerpt from article….
Navy Squadron Gets 31 Japs
“Planes fall like flies” as Enemy Force of 120 is All But Wiped Out
Lt (jg) John W Ramsey USNR, Cater, Okla.- “I took up a division which included one pilot on the sick list, another pilot who had been on the ground for 3 weeks waiting transfer, and a third who had been shot down 9 days previously and had been back with the squadron less than a week….  All I could see around me were Zeros and three F4Fs (Wildcats).  Several Zeros made passes at me.  One Zero made a beautiful overhead on me… I gave him a burst and he broke into flames and fell.  I looked around to find, almost in formation with me, a cream-colored dive bomber with black markings burning merrily with another F4F on his tail.  I saw two more of the same type.  My motor was smoking and oil was being splattered over the windshield, but I managed to give the second one a burst, and he burned.  <i>I was wondering whether to bail out but the Zeros around and the antiaircraft bursts dissuaded me from jumping and I came in making a dead stick landing.” See <a class="external free" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lt_(jg)_John_W_Ramsey_in_1942_US_Navy_VF-11.jpg">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lt_(jg)_John_W_Ramsey_in_1942_US_Navy_VF-11.jpg</a> for Lt Ramsey in 1942.</i>
</p>
Lt Ramsey went on to serve two tours at Guadalcanal and many other battles with VF-11 thru WWII shooting down a total of 4 Japanese Zeros and destroying two ships (sea plane tender and a destroyer). Over the WWII and Korean wars Ramsey was awarded four (4) Distinguished Flying Crosses, eleven (11) air medals, numerous citations, commendations, and many other medals including a Bronze Star in Korea for taking out an anti-aircraft locomotive train set and bridge in the same mission.  Furthermore, Commander Ramsey went on to serve in Korea as VF-111 Squadron Commander in late 1951 and most of 1952.
<p>Sgt Wm. Wilson, USMC
</p>
Additional edit includes quote of historian Henk Van der Lught made by W. Scott Ramsey, Son of the late Commander John W. Ramsey (edit made 5-28-17, 12-24-18)
1943-07-30
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/AdvQuery.php">U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation</a> photo No. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=56444&amp;QueryPage=%2Femuwebdoncoms%2Fpages%2Fdoncoms%2FAdvQuery.php">1996.253.7391.018</a>