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P47 Pilots Guestbook
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Welcome to the P47 Pilots Guestbook.
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1771)
I just recently read an article on your groups disbandment,please don't do it stand to the last man! i'm 44 years old,my father and uncles fought proudly in WW2 and we need more men like you gentlemen in trying times like the present. I just want to say THANK YOU for your service to our COUNTRY, If I was alive when you men served I would have proudly flown wing man to anyone of you. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!.
Posted By: JOHN A MINICHINI
(HARLEYJOHNJETS@AOL.COM)
on 07/15/2005 8:16:37 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1770)
I just read an article here: http://forums.ubi.com/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=400102&f=23110283&m=8411047833&r=5971047833#5971047833 Concerning the dwindling membersh-ip and your plans to pack it in. This is so very sad... inevitable as time does it's inexorable march and life goes on but sad. All of you gentlemen are my heroes. I will be 50 nexct month to give you an idea of the time I grew up in.. but as a child I was in love with WW2 aircraft. One of the first plastic models I made was of a P-47. All of you men have my deepest respect and admiration and I would like to say THANK YOU. THANK YOU for your sacrifice.... THANK YOU for putting your lives on the line so that the banner of freedom would not fall to fascist tyranny..... THANK YOU for providing me with the world I grew up in.. a world that would have been different had the fascists had their way. It saddens me to hear from the article that I read that you are shredding many of your records. Please PLEASE DO NOT!! This is history!! We need to keep it alive. I am a member of a flight simulator community that is comprisewd of mostly men over 30 who fly in the virtual skies more as a homage to the history and a love of the warbirds than a mere "gaming" fetish. In the community I am involved with over 1/3 of the members are over 40..... over 2/3 are over 30.... and there are a rare few.. who actually flew in the war..... one from the 353rd.... who has to be in his 80s now but he still has a blast with us "kids" and another from the Pacific.....
Unless there are things of a legal nature that you cannot give out and would bebetter off shredded would it be possible to send those records to me? I would gladly take them off your hands and poutr over them rather than see them lost forever. My email is in my post. If that is possible feel free to send me an email.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL......
Posted By: Barry T. Knotts
(vflyer@comcast.net)
on 07/15/2005 3:21:22 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1769)
I am looking for anyone who might have known my father, Lt. Robert P. Torbet, Jr. (Bob). He was with the 411th at the end of the war. Please contact me if you might have known my dad.
Posted By: Dr. Robert P. Torbet, III
(Torbetb@aol.com)
on 07/12/2005 2:44:19 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1768)
371st Fighter Bomber Group.I was in this group, (9th Air Force), from 1943 through the end of the war in 1945. We were in the ETO.
Our 371st Group published a 'year' book and mine was lost somehow. Does anyone have an extra one? I'd like to buy one.
Posted By: Victor Kramer
(tovickramer@aol.com)
on 07/08/2005 7:10:00 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1767)
Orville A. Kinkade (Al)... Is my mentor ,instructor and friend. He bailed out off the coast of Holland after a fight with a couple of FW-190's. He was a quest of the German military for a couple of years. He told me many stories over long cups of coffee and the occasional beer. He showed me the book he wrote as a POW. It was made of Red Cross cardboard and covered with the remains of his flight jacket. In it were stories of life and death and every day events inside a POW camp. His wounds never really healed, the scars were visible on the outside as well as the inside.
As a pilot he was a "natural" he seemed to be completely at peace in the air, the things he taught me have served me well over the last 37 years of flying.
As I read these stories I am humbled by these great men, their efforts and sacrifices....They truly are the Greatest Generation.
And now Al sits in a small room,... robbed of his memory and nearly silent...The people whom care for him know little of his past and see him as only and old man... If you are in Spokane, stop by and say hi to this grand old warrior, he still smiles at the picture of his Jug...Who knows, maybe it will make you feel as good as it does him...
Captain Les Preston
United Airlines
Posted By: Les Preston
(LesandPeggy@aol.com)
on 07/07/2005 9:22:06 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1766)
Just posted a message, I meant a P-47 pilot named Lt. OLAV HUSTAD. Thanks, Mark
Posted By: Mark Adamic
(blackct401@aol.com)
on 07/03/2005 10:34:11 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1765)
Great site! I'm looking for information about P-47 OLAV HUSTAD. I found a picture of him in an antique store and would like to know what Group/Squadron he was with. I'm pretty sure he was 9th AF. Any help would be appreciated, Blue Skies, Mark.
Posted By: Mark Adamic
(blackct401@aol.com)
on 07/03/2005 10:32:32 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1764)
I am very interested in corresponding with 5th Air Force Jug Veterans (or their relatives), who served in the 35th,58th and 348th Fighter Groups aswell as 9th and 36th Fighter Squadrons !
Thankyou
Jason Van Der Graaf
Bertram
Western Australia
Posted By: Jason Van Der Graaf
(waxx76@optusnet.com)
on 06/30/2005 9:38:52 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1763)
I'm with the Postal Service's press office and am trying to track down the pilot of a P-47 Thunderbolt stamp that will be issued July 29, 2005 at the AirVenture Air Show in Oshkosh, WI.
Here's a link to our news release annoucing the 2005 stamp program. Scroll down the page until you see the aviation stamps:
http://www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/2004/sr04_076.htm
I'm not sure if this is the correct info on the plane as I found it on a plastic model plane website. I noticed that the serial number is the same as the one on the plane depicted on the stamp:
"Angie" of the 512th FS, 406th FG (serial #226860)
Can you help me out or point me in the right direction?
If you could reply with your phone number I’d be happy to call.
Thanks!!!
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Mark Saunders
U.S. Postal Service Headquarters
Community Relations Rm 10541
475 L'Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20260-3100
office: 202-268-6524
cell: 202-320-0782
fax: 202-268-4925
Mark.R.Saunders@usps.gov
www.usps.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Mark Saunders 202-268-6524
June 24, 2006 mark.r.saunders@usps.gov
USPS Web Site: www.usps.com
Stamp News Release Number: 05-030
EAA Contact: Dick Knapinski
920-426-6523
dknapinski@eaa.org
www.eaa.org
Aviation Stamps Take Flight at World’s Largest Air Show
WASHINGTON — Ten classic American aircraft from the 1930’s, ‘40s and ‘50s take to the skies in the form of postage when the U.S. Postal Service dedicates the American Advances in Aviation commemorative stamp sheet at the world’s premier air show. The Friday, July 29 first-day-of-issue ceremony, hosted by the Experimental Aviation Association (www.eaa.org) will occur during the 2005 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (WI) fly-in convention. The ceremony will take place at the event’s Aero Shell Square at 10 a.m. Central Time in the shadows of at least six of the rare aircraft depicted on the stamps.
Many pilots and crew members of these historic aircraft will be on-site to discuss their experiences. An autograph session follows the event.
The stamps will be available at Post Offices and Philatelic Centers nationwide Saturday, July 30.
"The Postal Service is proud to build on the popular Classic American Aircraft collection we first issued in 1997," said Linda Kingsley, Vice President, Strategic Planning, U.S. Postal Service, who will dedicate the stamps at the air show. "The ten historic aircraft chosen for the American Advances in Aviation stamp sheet show the innovation and remarkable technological contributions of our nation's aviation pioneers."
"Every year literally thousands of historic aircraft participate in EAA AirVenture Oshkosh," said EAA Museum Director Adam Smith, "So we're taking the opportunity not only to showcase these beautiful new stamps, but also to show many of the actual aircraft depicted on them."
A description of each aircraft is on the back of the stamp sheet (see attached). The stamp images depict:
§ Boeing’s 247 and B-29 Superfortress;
§ Consolidated’s PBY Catalina and B-24 Liberator;
§ Lockheed’s P-80 Shooting Star;
§ Grumman’s F6F Hellcat;
§ Republic’s P-47 Thunderbolt;
§ Northrop’s YB-49 Flying Wing;
§ Engineering and Research Corporation’s Ercoupe 415; and
§ Beechcraft’s 35 Bonanza.
The header illustration includes a Hughes H-1 racer and Boeing’s YB-52 Stratofortress.
Military aircraft scheduled to be on display during the ceremony include the: B-24 Liberator, B-29 Superfortress, F6F Hellcat and the P80 Shooting Star. Civilian aircraft scheduled to appear include the A-35-Bonanza and the Ercoupe-415.
The American Advances in Aviation stamp sheet was designed by Phil Jordan. The stamp illustrations and header design were painted by William S. Phillips, an award-winning historical aviation and landscape artist who also created the artwork for the 1997 Classic American Aircraft collection.
Aviation Enthusiast Collectables
Six limited edition prints will only be available on-site at the 2005 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (WI) fly-in convention.
Authenticated with a numbered certificate and autographed by stamp artist William S. Phillips, high-quality prints (12 3/4 x 13 3/4 inch) of select aircraft stamp images will be available for $175. Each print is mounted with an aircraft stamp postmarked with the Oshkosh, WI July 29, 2005 First-Day-of-Issue cancellation. Prints are available for the 35 Bonanza, B-24 Liberator, F6F Hellcat, P45 Thunderbolt, PBY Catalina and the P80 Shooting Star.
Advance orders are now being accepted for these products and will be fulfilled following the July 29 issuance of the stamps. A sampling of products available on-site and through the Postal Store at usps.com/shop or at 800-STAMP-24 include:
§ First Day Cover set of ten with the July 29, 2005 First-Day-of-Issue postmark for $7.50.
§ A Digital Color Postmark designed by American Advances in Aviation stamps Art Director Phil Jordan. A single First-Day-of-Issue cover is $1.50 or the entire set of ten with either an Oshkosh, WI or Vienna, VA (note: the Vienna reference will not be included in the EAA related media release) postmark is available for $15. Note: Digital color postmarks are not available on customer-submitted covers.
§ An 8 x 10 inch Aviation Art Print featuring all 10 stamps for $14.95.
§ Baseball caps, t-shirts, key chains, lapel pins and numerous other American Advances in Aviation themed items are also available.
The Postal Service paid tribute to the evolution of flight in 1997 by featuring some of aviation’s most innovative aircraft on stamps. The Classic American Aircraft stamp sheet—only available today through collectors—included the: Beech Model C17L; Boeing B-17, B-47, 314 and P-26; Chance Voight Corsair F4U; Curtiss D (header) and JN-4 Jenny; Douglas DC-3; Ford Tri-Motor; Gee Bee Super-Sportster; Grumman F4F Wildcat; Lockheed Constellation, Vega and P-38; Martin B-10; North American F-86 Sabre and P-51 Mustang; Northrop Alpha; Piper J-3 Cub; Stearman PT13 and the Wright Model B Flyer.
EAA, The Leader in Recreational Aviation, is an international association with 170,000 members and 1,000 local Chapters. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the world’s greatest aviation celebration and EAA’s yearly membership convention. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or www.eaa.org. EAA AirVenture information is also available at www.airventure.org.
Since 1775, the Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 142 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $69 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume- some 206 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year- and serves seven million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.
# # #
Information on the Back of the American Advances in Aviation Stamps
Building on the popular Classic American Aircraft collection issued in 1997, the planes chosen for this stamp pane illustrate American innovations and technological contributions to military, commercial, and general aviation during the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s.
Stamp Header Illustrations
§ Averaging 327.15 mph, the Hughes H-1 racer set a new transcontinental speed record on January 19, 1937.
§ Boeing’s YB-52 Stratofortress was a 1952 prototype for the still-operational B-52 bomber.
American Advances in Aviation Stamps
35 Bonanza
The Beechcraft Bonanza has been in continuous production since 1947, although the 35 model was discontinued in 1982. Its distinctive V tail was designed to reduce weight and drag, as well as buffeting from the wing and canopy wakes.
F6F Hellcat
A WWII “workhorse,” the carrier-based Grumman F6F Hellcat met with perfection the requirements that had dictated its simple and straightforward design. The robust and maneuverable fighter was easy to mass produce and maintain.
B-29 Superfortress
The advanced armament, propulsion, and avionics systems in Boeing’s B-29 Superfortress included remote-controlled gun turrets and pressurized crew compartments. The sophisticated long-range bomber served in both WWII and Korea.
B-24 Liberator
Designed as a heavy bomber, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator—with its great range and payload/cargo capacity—proved highly versatile during WWII. High-lift wing airfoils and retractable “roller-type” bomb bay doors were B-24 innovations.
YB-49 Flying Wing
Deemed futuristic in the late ’40s, the all-wing configuration of Northrop’s YB-49 Flying Wing jet-propelled bomber had great potential but stability problems shelved the project. Technology finally caught up with vision in the B-2 stealth bomber.
PBY Catalina
An internally braced cantilever wing and retractable wingtip floats were aerodynamic innovations of the reliable and versatile Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat. First acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1936, many still fly in nonmilitary roles.
Ercoupe 415
Designed in the mid-1930s, the Ercoupe 415 introduced safe, practical technologies for general aviation. The linked control system made it spin-proof; tricycle landing gear with a steerable nose wheel simplified landing and taxiing.
P-47 Thunderbolt
Originally planned as a lightweight interceptor, Republic’s P-47 Thunderbolt turned out to be an immense multipurpose fighter. Fast and rugged, it earned a reputation as both a high-altitude escort fighter and a low-level fighter-bomber during WWII.
P-80 Shooting Star
The laminar-flow wing of the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star streamlined airflow and contributed to the speed and overall performance of the first operational U.S. jet fighter. A P-80 made history in 1950 by winning the first all-jet aerial combat.
247
The first modern commercial airliner set new standards for speed, safety, and comfort in 1933. With twin engines, retractable landing gear, and an insulated ten-passenger cabin, Boeing’s streamlined, all-metal Model 247 boasted state-of-the-art technology.
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Background Information on the American Advances in Aviation
Stamps Art Director and Stamp Artist
Art Director Phil Jordan
Phil Jordan grew up in New Bern, North Carolina, and attended East Carolina University. After Army service in Alaska, he graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in visual communications. He worked in advertising and in design at a trade association before joining Beveridge and Associates, Inc., where he provided art direction for corporate, institutional, and government design projects. A partner in the firm, he left after 18 years to establish his own design firm where he has managed projects for USAir, NASA, McGraw-Hill, IBM, and Smithsonian Books, among others. He was Design Director of Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine for 15 years. His work has appeared in numerous exhibitions and publications such as Graphis and Communications Arts. A past president of the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington, he has been an art director for the U.S. Postal Service since 1991. A resident of Falls Church, Virginia, he is an avid glider pilot and a member of the Skyline Soaring Club.
Stamp Artist William S. Phillips
Renowned aviation artist William S. Phillips has had a love affair with flight for as long as he can remember. While in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, he sketched military aircraft and dramatic monsoon cloud formations and began to sell his work. After completing military service, Phillips returned to the U.S., graduated from college, and was accepted into law school; all the while he continued to paint. When he sold 4 paintings as he hung them in a local restaurant, he abandoned any thought of legal studies for a full-time career in art.
Phillips’s research for his paintings has taken him all over the world, bringing him to combat missions such as the Gulf War and natural disasters such as the eruption of Mount St. Helens. He has flown with aviators at the Navy Fighter Weapons School ("Top Gun School") then in Miramar, California, as well as with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. A recipient of the Navy’s Meritorious Public Service Award and the Air Force Award for Artistic Excellence, Phillips was honored in 1987 with a retrospective exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum. His paintings appear in books, including The Glory of Flight (1994); on limited-edition prints; and on 20 Classic American Aircraft stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 1997. Commissioned works hang in public and private collections throughout the world. A former fireman in Ashland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife Kristi, Phillips commemorated the firemen who died on September 11, 2001, with a painting—A Prayer for My Brother—that today hangs in many fire stations throughout the United States.
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How to Order First Day of Issue Postmark
Customers have 30 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, by telephone at 800-STAMP-24, and at the Postal Store on www.usps.com/shop. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
AMERICAN ADVANCES IN AVIATION CANCELLATION
c/o Postmaster
1025 W 20th Ave
Oshkosh WI 54902-9998
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by August 28, 2005.
How to Order First Day Covers
Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:
INFORMATION FULFILLMENT
DEPT 6270
US POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 219014
Kansas City Mo 64121-9014
First-day covers remain on sale for at least one year after the stamp’s issuance.
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Posted By: Mark Saunders
(mark.r.saunders@usps.gov)
on 06/27/2005 8:20:11 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1762)
I am looking for anyone who may have know Robert(Bob) W. Perry. He flew the P-47 Thunderbolt in WWII and was born in 1922, however was grounded to the best of my knowlege for some misbehavior. I would love to talk to anyone who went through flight school with him or knew him during the war years. Please e-mail me if you have any information. I believe he was flying in Europe.
Posted By: Becky Crowe
(perrycrowe@hotmail.com)
on 06/25/2005 10:43:44 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1761)
Great page! Looks like the definitive resource on this fantastic plane. I'm sure I'll spend some time here.
Check out my small contribution to WW2 history at the above address -- it's a day-by-day history of the war.
Posted By: David H Lippman
(dhlippman@juno.com)
on 06/17/2005 11:46:22 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1760)
I posted a message last year about my dad, A.J. LoCelso, who flew a P-47 in WWII. He was with "Lee's Lieutenants" 86th Fighter Group; the name of one plane was "Miss Anne" #74. Anyone know him, please e-mail me. Tks
Posted By: Dawn LoCelso
(dawnlc@shaw.ca)
on 06/14/2005 10:50:31 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1759)
Would be interested in talking with those who served with the 314th Fighter Squadron of the 324th Fighter Group in 1944
Posted By: Joseph J. Martanovic
(Joseph.Martanovic@colliersom.com)
on 06/08/2005 5:04:39 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1758)
I was born in March of 1946 and have heard many stories about the Thunderbolt. My father was an armorer with the 56th FG, 8th AF. I'm really glad to have found your sight and have read most of its content. Dad is now 85 years old and is getting weaker each day. His generation is truly special and the best example of what we can be as people and as a nation. God bless them all.
Posted By: Woody Giles
(wgiles@mindspring)
on 05/27/2005 2:19:43 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1757)
Born in 1942, I am too young to remember very much that happened between 1942 and 1945, except that where I lived in East Farmingdale, I can still remember flights of new JUGS departing Republic, flying directly over our house.
My father worked for Republic from 1940 until 1977, and saw not only the advent of the P-47, but also the F-84, F-105, and A-10. But the P-47 was and continues to be the leader in a great tradition of highly reliable workhorse aircraft built by the people of Republic Aviation.
Posted By: Jim Colwell
(jenjay1965@aol.com)
on 05/26/2005 6:24:48 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1756)
To all my new friends all over the world made by e-mail this past year, it has been great knowing you. If you wish to contact me for the next several months it will have to be by snail mail to: Frank Lewis, l4 Schoppee Pt. Rd., Roque Bluffs, ME 04654, 207-255-3056. I will be tickled to talk fighter talk and B-52 talk. Have a wonderful summer, guys and gals. Best wishes, Frank Lewis.
Posted By: Frank Lewis
(femtl@earthlink.net)
on 05/18/2005 9:03:49 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1755)
Hi
I hope you can help. We live on Bisterne Farm near where the ALG was constructed. My husband works for the farm and we are both very interested in the history of the airfield. Any information or photos you can send me would be great, especially if you have any info relating to the brick fireplace built in the woods near Sandford where the pilots were billeted. The fireplace is still there and to commemorate the 60th aniversary of VE day we took our children to the fireplace and cleaned it out and cooked sausages and beans. I have found a few cannon shell whilst digging in the garden and pieces of the runway still prop up the hedgerow locally.
Many thanks
PJB
Posted By: Paula Button
(pjb@1066ad.com)
on 05/10/2005 5:55:59 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1754)
"What a great experience at the Seattle 2005 P-47 re-union"
It was nothing less than great to meet the Pilots and thier wives of the "Greatest Generation". Hats off to all of you and those who put this together.
Posted By: Greg Pierce, President 8th AFHS - Washington State
(eighthafpierce@yahoo.com)
on 05/09/2005 2:48:49 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1753)
Reference Guestbook message # l605, I urge any pilot of the 406th GP, 5l2th Squadron to contact Eugene Budnik who wants
to know of his grandfather's Jug experiences who was also Eugene Budnik of that squadron. As time runs out on all of us, we should take the time to get to know the descendents of our buddies in combat. You could also contact Budnik's son, Bob, in Alaska, rbudnik@mtaonline.net Frank Lewis, 5l4th.
Posted By: Frank Lewis
(femtl@earthlink.net)
on 05/07/2005 7:30:22 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1752)
I'm building a model of and presenting a PowerPoint on the P-47 for a JROTC project at my highschool. From my research, it sounds like a great plane and it's been very interesting learning about it. This website was informative and a big help.
Posted By:
()
on 05/02/2005 11:19:54 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1751)
My dad "Edward A. Reisman" worked in Public Relations at Republic Aviation during World War II. I have some of his photos from those days (including photos of P47 Thunderbolts and Republic Field). Does anyone remember him?
Posted By: Edward A. Reisman, Jr.
(edward.reisman@ttb.gov)
on 04/25/2005 9:39:55 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1750)
Hello! Does anybody recognize the name, "Eugene Joseph Budnik?" That is my grandfather's name as well as mine. He flew P-47s in Europe during WWII. I don't know what unit he was in exactly, just thought it would be interestting if anybody recognized the name. Feel free to email me.
Posted By: Eugene J. Budnik
(eugene.budnik@seymourjohnson.af.mil)
on 04/22/2005 11:44:09 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1749)
I served in Patton's Third Army in the ETO from July 1944 until the end of the war in 1945 with the 119th AAA Gun Bn. I recently ran across a photo I took in the vicinity of Thionville, France sometime in 1944 of a crashed-landed P-47 after what appears to be a pancake landing. The plane is intact with extended flaps and damaged prop. The designation on the fuselage is V, and W3. The tail number appears to be 227319. From the photo it looks like the pilot survived. I would be happy to forward this photo to anyone interested - hopefully the surviving pilot. I might like to add, our battalion did not shoot down this airplane.
Posted By: Howard Simon
(SimonSezz@aol.com)
on 04/18/2005 3:01:21 AM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1748)
The Story of a P-47D Fighter Pilot
Howard Sumner was born on 12 November 1924, in a stone farmhouse about three miles east of Lyle, KS. His parents are Robert C. and Gracie Mae.
Howard attended a country grade school in the Lyle area. Later he attended and graduated in 1942 from Norcatur High School.
Howard wanted to enlist in the service when World War II started, but he was only seventeen at the time. One Howard turned eighteen he enlisted. At that time the Air Force was a branch of the Army. Howard was stationed at Pisa, Italy and was in the service for three years.
Howard was a pilot in the Air Force and flew a P-47D fighter plane. The plane was made in the republic. Its maximum speed was 356 miles per hour. Its takeoff weight was 19,400 pounds. While “empty” the plane weighed ten thousand pounds. The planes’ wingspan was forty feet, nine inches, and three quarters. The plane was equipped with two bombs, machine guns, and a belly tank for fuel. Today, P-47D’s can be found today at the Smithsonian Institute.
While in the service, Howard flew seventy-nine missions; his last flight in combat was flown on 1 May 1945. Howard received an Air Medal and four clusters. Howard was a Lieutenant and Flight Leader.
Howard tells, while being a flight leader, he had a “green” pilot going on a mission flight with him. Howard told this “green” pilot---“Don’t lose sight of me, I won’t come back to get you.” The flight was a success and the rookie pilot never lost Howard. Later the rookie told Howard that he didn’t think Howard was very nice.
During the three years that Howard was in the service he only got to come home once and only for a short stay, which was only for one day. Howard said he and his father stayed up all night and talked. The next day Howard had to go back.
Howard has many books, pictures, and models of the plane he flew. When asking Howard what it was like to be in the service he replied, “I’m very proud to have been a Fighter Pilot and a Flight Leader in World War II.”
While in the service Howard explained how he had made buddies for life. In June a war buddy of Howard’s is coming to Kansas and from there they both plan to travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico for a World War II reunion. Can you imagine being there and listening to all of the interesting war stories? Most of these men are in their eighties and if the stories aren’t captured now, they will be lost forever.
Posted By: Melinda (M.J.) Dempewolf
(mjdempewolf@hotmail.com)
on 04/11/2005 10:54:55 PM EST
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Guestbook Entry (msg id: 1747)
I was ten years old when my Dad bought me a shinning P-47 Thunderbolt with alcohol piston engine.Since that event I knew how important was "the Jug" in my life.Always I have followed any movie,any book,stamp or other thing about the plane and his braves pilots.I'm now a Mechanical Engineer with 52 years old and I continue admiring you like a human group capable to feel that special love for the machine and all the glories experiences that "the Jug" leave in yours hearts forever. Is a honor for me to can write some words to so special folks.Carlos
PS:When I play with my sons "The combat flight simulator", the P-47 is my favorite weapon.
Posted By: Carlos
(gvc999@hotmail.com)
on 04/08/2005 1:37:40 AM EST
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