Jefferson Joseph DeBlanc (February 15, 1921 – November 22, 2007) was an American World War II Marine Corps fighter pilot and flying ace, credited with shooting down nine Japanese aircraft during two tours of duty in the Pacific at Guadalcanal and Okinawa.

On 13 November, Japanese Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers attempted to torpedo Allied ships and were intercepted by VMF-112, and in that action DeBlanc shot down three.

On 29 January 1943, DeBlanc was forced to ditch his Wildcat and luckily landed in the wake of an American destroyer that was fleeing across Ironbottom Sound due to a Japanese air raid.

En route to the target area, DeBlanc discovered and reported to Guadalcanal that his fighter had developed a serious fuel leak which made return to base unlikely and he requested that rescue forces be alerted.

By this time, night was falling, but DeBlanc observed a formation of Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar" Imperial Japanese Army fighters headed for the dive bombers.

DeBlanc himself was saved when a third Wildcat flown by Lt. James Lavell Secrest, approaching from head-on, overflew his aircraft and forced a pursuing "Oscar" to dive away.

The second maneuvered behind him, however, but DeBlanc managed to slow his Wildcat abruptly and force his remaining opponent to overshoot him, and he also shot it down for his fifth victory of the day.

Rounds struck his aircraft, ripped his wrist watch from his arm, smashed the instrument panel, and set afire the Wildcat's engine.

The tribal members carried DeBlanc by outrigger canoe to the home of an Anglican missionary, who forwarded him to two Coastwatchers, who immediately attempted contact with the Allied authorities by clandestine radio.

On 12 February, three days before his 22nd birthday, a Navy PBY Catalina patrol bomber landed in the sea off the island and tribal members paddled DeBlanc out to it in a canoe.

(Note: the chronology and aircraft types are those provided by DeBlanc for the recreation of this action and vary slightly from the citation, which is reproduced below.

Promoted to captain on 1 June, he was transferred to VMF-122, Marine Aircraft Group 11, in July, and returned to the United States about six weeks later.

On December 6, 1946, DeBlanc was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman in the White House "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" for his actions in the Solomon Islands on January 31, 1943.

[4] On the morning of Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2007, Jefferson DeBlanc died in Lafayette, Louisiana, age 86, from complications due to pneumonia.