Thayer flew a F4F Wildcat and became a flying ace, with six confirmed and four probable aerial victories, and nine further Japanese Air Force aircraft destroyed on the ground.
W. Paul Thayer (1919–2010), American test pilot, aviation executive, and Deputy Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration
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Thayer was born in North Dallas, Texas, the daughter of Margery (Schwartz) and William Paul Thayer, a former naval officer and business executive who was Deputy Secretary of Defense (1983-1984) in the Reagan Administration.