ANTHONY V. GROSSETTA, ("SNAG ") born August 15, 1914 in Tucson, Arizona. Graduated the University of Arizona 1936. Spent two years as Research Chemist with Inspiration Consoldiated Copper Company. Entered Flying Training Randolph Field Class '39B. Graduated Kelly Field May 1939. Assigned 77th Pursuit Squadron, 20th Group, Barksdale Field, La. 20th Group moved to Moffett Field, CA Nov. 1939 and split to form 35th Group and my assignment to 18th Sqdn. 18th Sqdn. transferred to Anchorage, Alaska with 20 P-36s in Feb. 1941 and saw "The Big War" start there 10 months later.

Returned to III Fighter Command, 337th R.T.U. (P-40) Group Sarasota, FL July 1943. Thence to 53rd R.T.U. (P-47) Group Fort Meyers, FL Oct. 1943. Given command 406th Ftr. Bomb Gp Nov. 1943 to train for E.T.0. Deployment.

Arrived with 406th Gp Ashford, Kent, England in March 1944. and supported 3rd U.S. Army across Europe till completion of "Battle of the Bulge". Group transferred to XIX T.A.C. in support of 9th U.S. Army till wars end.

Various assignments thereafter till retirement June 30, 1959, to include Naval War College, 1946-47, Air University 1947. 50, 25th Air Division (Defense) 1950-1952, Commander 41st Air Division (DEF) Johnson A.F .B. Japan 1952.1955, Industrial College Armed Forces 1955-1956 and finally Directorate of Targets, Asst., CIS Intel., Hqrs. U.S.A.F. to retirement.

The following story is my most memorable of a 21-year career. Having witnessed the demonstration in Braunschweig, Germany in the summer of 1945, Alexander De Seversky told me at the Air University in 1948 that it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. My Group, the 406th, was stationed at a small German Field at the village of Handorf just outside Munster when the war ended. We were enjoying the relaxed life of "occupyers" with plenty of softball, volleyball, German beer, etc. and very little flying. Then it happened that Gen. Simpson, C.G. 9th U.S. Army, decided to stage a review for the Commander of the Russian Army from just across the Elbe River at Magdeburg.

The XXIXth T.A.C. was invited to participate in an aerial review. Col. Dyke Meyer, Operations Officer, XXIXth T.A.C. called me about three days before the big show and asked that we practice spelling out the letters U.S.S.R. and C.C.C.P. in aerial formation to be flown as part of the aerial review.

We practiced long and diligently with 9 Jugs in each flight to form the letters. We could fly by the reviewing stand in the formation U.S.S.R., make a 1800 turn within sight of the parade ground while shifting to C.C.C.P. and come back across the field. We were darn proud of our work and accomplishment.

Then on the morning of the day before the review, someone from the TAC called and requested that we fly the formations over TAC Hqs that evening; and, IF IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH, they would let us fly the next day for the Russians. Needless to say I was quite miffed to think that we had to be approved by TAC before we could participate, so the rest of the day we practiced four more letters.

That evening we did fly over Braunschweig where TAC Hqrs was located. We went by first in four flights of 3 ship VEES, executed a 1800 and came back over town spelling out USSR, a quick 180 and the next pass spelled CCCP. Our final pass read "S.H.I.T ." You have never seen a group of fighter pilots fly such good formation in an effort to make sure our feelings were legible from the ground. We stayed in the nasty formation all the way back to Handorf, going out of our way to pass over as many fighter bases as possible.

XXIX TAC allowed us to fly in the review but held their breath for fear we might be indiscreet enough to insult the Russians, thus creating an international incident. Perhaps we should have done just that.