Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabreski was a Polish-American career pilot in the United States Air Force and was the top American and USAAF fighter ace over Europe in World War II. He was also a jet fighter ace with the US Air Force in the Korean War. He is best known for his credited destruction of 34-1/2 aircraft in aerial combat and was one of only seven US combat pilots to become an ace in two wars. He retired as a colonel with 26 years of military service.