B-25J-11, 43-36204, 345th BG, 500th BS, November 1944 Grand Slam was lost due to a 1000lb bomb becoming hung up in the bomb bay on a mission on February 15, 1945. Pilot 1st Lt. Joseph Herick ordered the crew to bail out and the aircraft was subsequently shot down by...
I could not have asked for a better second father or role model. CMSGT Harrison ‘Bud’ Golem served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, flew on B-25s, B-29s and AC-130s (among a multitude of other aircraft.) Bud retired from the USAF in ’67, then did another...
F4U-1A (BuNo 17915) Major Gregory ‘Pappy’ Boyington, Commanding Officer, VMF-214, Vella Lavella, January, 1944. This was a fairly new Corsair that Boyington flew on two fighter sweeps over Rabaul during VMF-214s second tour. This was the aircraft Boyington...
One of my favorite pieces in my collection of WWII relics is this main wing spar section (approx 6′ long) from one of the P-47Ds lost by the 56th Fighter Group on September 18, 1944 in the Arnhem area. On September 17th the 56th Fighter group flew ground attack...
80 years ago this morning, 15 TBDs launched from the deck of the USS Hornet to attack the fleet of Kido Butai. Led by John C. Waldron, all 15 aircraft were lost, with only 1 of the 30 men on that mission surviving. These men knew their aircraft were obsolete and had...
