| Edward F. Rector | |
| Nickname: | "Ed" |
| Birth Date: | 28 September 1916 |
| Birth Place: | Marshall, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Placeofburial: | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance: | United States |
| Branch: | United States Navy United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force |
| Serviceyears: | 1939–1962 |
| Rank: | Colonel |
| Commands: | 23rd Fighter Group 76th Fighter Squadron |
| Battles: | World War II |
| Awards: | Silver Star Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross (2) Air Medal Order of the Cloud and Banner (China) Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) |
| Laterwork: | Consultant |
Edward Franklin Rector (September 28, 1916 – April 26, 2001) was a colonel in the United States Air Force, a fighter ace of World War II, and a member of the Flying Tigers.
Rector, a native of Marshall, North Carolina, graduated from Catawba College in 1938 and began his military career as a naval aviator. He was a carrier pilot on the, based in Norfolk, when he was recruited for the American Volunteer Group, the official name of the Flying Tigers.[1] The unit was formed with the financial backing of the Chinese government to help defend the Burma Road and Chinese cities from Japanese attack before the United States entered World War II.[2]
On December 10, 1941, Rector was part of a three-plane photo reconnaissance mission from Rangoon to Bangkok.[3] On December 20 when the Flying Tigers engaged in combat for the first time[4] during a raid by Hanoi-based Japanese aircraft on the Chinese city of Kunming, Rector provided the American Volunteer Group with its first aerial victory and would later record the last in a long list of 23rd Fighter Group air-to-air kills.[5] In May 1942, he played a critical role in locating and attacking Japanese military columns attempting a push into China at the Salween River Gorge. This allowed the Chinese time to blow up a key bridge across the river, and the Japanese subsequently retreated into Burma. Rector was credited with having destroyed 10.5 Japanese aircraft in aerial combat during the war.
Rector retired from the United States Air Force in 1962 as a colonel and had a second career in the aviation industry as a consultant in India, North Africa, and Europe.[6] He died April 26, 2001, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after suffering a heart attack and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[7]
| U.S. Air Force Command Pilot Badge | |||
| Silver Star | Legion of Merit | Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster | |
| Purple Heart | Air Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Air Force Commendation Medal | |
| Air Force Presidential Unit Citation | American Defense Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | |
| Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze campaign stars | World War II Victory Medal | National Defense Service Medal with service star | |
| Air Force Longevity Service Award with four bronze oak leaf clusters | Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) | Order of Yung Hui (5th class) (Republic of China) | |
| Order of the Cloud and Banner (1st class) (Republic of China) | Army, Navy & Air Force Medal (Republic of China) | China War Memorial Medal (Republic of China) | |
. David Lee "Tex" Hill. Schaupp, R.. "Tex Hill": Flying Tiger. Honoribus Press. 2003. 1-885354-15-0.