History WWII nose art 5th air force

There's nothing like the sound of a WWII bomber flying over. Anytime I hear one coming, I try to get outside before my legs turn to jello.
Turned down a free ride in the Texas Raiders once, like the fool that I am. Had never flown and chickened out.
Alot of 13th Bomb Grim Reapers on here...I'll post some pics of Dad while he was in Korea with the 13th '51 - '53. He was a navigator on B26s and did 58 night bombing missions

 

I have had the chance to witness man and machine be reunited after 60 or so years and the magic that happens as the chains of time slip away,even if only for a while. What 80 something year old in his right mind would want to climb inside a Sperry ball turret? Why one who spent time there in his youth and faced death time and time again...
Thanks to Kermit and Fantasy of Flight for honoring these veterans and sharing there experiences with us with their Legends & Legacies symposium series.

http://www.fantasyofflight.com/pdfs/LLBrochure2012.pdf

 

Actually Merlin, when I started this thread, it was depicting nose art on all the Pacific theater B-25's----NOT any hot rods!---I'm sure you remember the returning vets that built hot rods like,---Wally Parks, Bob Pierson,Barney Navarro,Hank Negley,Clarke Cagle,Jack Calori,Karl Orr,Bob Rufi,Dick Megugorac(Magoo)----To name just a few.

 

That old guy there has done things we younger folks could only dream about....

I'm so jealous. Yes, go ahead and argue how scared they were and no one knew the outcome, on and on....but if we didn't respect that, and maybe wish we could have walked a mile in their shoes....would we really be involved in hot rods and history, and getting the feeling we do when we read this stuff???

For me, it may have been a better time to live than in times when kids are shooting each other in school and people are walking around with their pants down, pregnant teens with corn rows and basketball uniforms popping out babies like a pez dispenser and, well...you know the rest.

 

I agree about the sound. They used A 26 invaders for water bombing. I recall being at the end of the run way in Edson Alberta when a bomber took off with a full load of water under full power. Hard to describe the intensity of the sound and urgency of that takeoff.

 

Got that right GEORGE!---We lived only 1 mile from NAA (North American Aviation), where the B-25 Mitchell's & P-51 Mustangs were produced during WWII, & I could tell when the planes went over, the distinct sound each one made I could I.D. them!

 

Wow... what a thread. Had brother in laws in the Big War. They talked very little about it. I did note that the guys pictured were not as heavy as us 66 yr. olds are now. ?????????? Less food are hard work. Thanks to all the posters.

 

Great photos!

 

Saw these at the Smithsonian last week.Even though to SOSL is not a war plane it has to be the most recognizable nose are in history
JimV
PS Try to get to he 2 air & space museums there if you can.We worth the trip

 

excellent thread, another one of my vice's aviation history

 

A few years ago we had a small air show at the local airport. We were lucky enough to have 6 P-51's on display. They also did quite a few flybys. Man what a show! I was at the end of the runway, at the local Lowes, when they flew over. One can only imagine, from my generation, what a flight of a couple hundred must have been like.

 

Yep Vinnymac,----Here's one from Sunriver Car/aircraft show 5 years ago, pilot was kind enough to let me pose my roadster with his P-51 Mustang, after the show, he made a 20 ft. off the deck pass at speed!!---Watta sound!!

 

B-25 fly in at the fairgrounds in urbana ohio this weekend...don't know how many are coming in...but they are taking reservations to go up in them...weather is NOT cooperating...

 

There still out there...

 

Don..

Great to see the guys are still enjoying your post!! I have a friend at work who has a business doing embroidering. Loaned her "Oscar" to see what she could do. There are a couple subtle differences that were intentional as I don't want them passed off as the real deal.
Here is the first "test" Oscar..

 

Hemiman----Nice repro!!

 

Thats true!---Visited the Smithsonian with my son in 2005, & saw the real thing SOSL!!---Gave me a personal thrill standing next to my 6th cousin's Ryan famous airplane!!

 

So yesterday, I heard about the 22 B-25s at Wright-Patt for the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle raid on Japan. Got all worked up and told my son, and they were going to be here April 17 - 20. Turns out they left today!!! WTF

I wrote a letter to General Doolittle in the early '90s, thanking him for thier sacrifice, and shared Dad's service in the USAF in Korea and Viet Nam. I didn't ask for anything from huim, but he was kind enough to mail me an 8x10 of himself (as a 90 year old) in his uniform and signed it for me.

In shaky ball point pen, it just says, "J H Doolittle". One of my PRIZED possesions.

 

I would love to see that if you have a copy or a scan. I can definitely understand it being a prized possession.

 

"I wrote a letter to General Doolittle in the early '90s, thanking him for thier sacrifice, and shared Dad's service in the USAF in Korea and Viet Nam. I didn't ask for anything from huim, but he was kind enough to mail me an 8x10 of himself (as a 90 year old) in his uniform and signed it for me.

In shaky ball point pen, it just says, "J H Doolittle". One of my PRIZED possessions."

In 2007 I found a mint copy of God Is My Co Pilot by Robert Scott the flying tiger guy. I did some research and found out he was still alive. I contacted his assistant and sent the book down and he autographed it circa 2007. Same thing, I prize that puppy.

 

My father was too. Was your dad on the Leopoldville?

Greg

 

Greg, do an Intro before the Forum Police get ya!

 

The patch with the black panther the man wants an ID to is the 822nd Bomb Sqd form the 38th Group , I am an artist of Leather flying unit patches and have a color photo of one just like his , also the A-20 with the name and beggining of an emblem on it "Sting Of Death" is the "Unofficial" design for the 8th Bomb Sqd of the 3rd Bomb group I also have a photo of it , it was a cartoon little grasshopper riding a falling aerial bomb that had 50 cals in the nose area, the grasshopper was wearing helmet/gogglesand has reins attached to the nose of the bomb and he's holding them, the banner off to his left carried the motto "Sting Of Death" ....................
Sorry I can't post photos .
Johnny
[email protected]
USAAF/USN/USMC leather Sqd/group patch maker.

for sample photos of patches I've made see this link,
http://s1334.photobucket.com/user/EMBLEMHUNTER/library/Patches

Recently added some new patches ............................

 

Hi guys my name is Greg and my great grand father was in the 5th aboard "the steak and egg special" it was a B25j mitchell bomber and i was wondering if you guys could include me on discussion and could share some history of the men on my great grand fathers plane or the plane itself and what mission it took place in.

 

George Alexander was his name and he is pictured back row center much appreciated if anyone has info.

 

Maybe a bit off topic, but you guys might like this footage:
HTTPS://www.dropbox.com/sh/4zkp7hvrgbcd7gd/D-qPNsG9ym#lh:null-Laffey%20Enhanced%20vo%203.wmv <https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4zkp7hvrgbcd7gd/D-qPNsG9ym#lh:null-Laffey Enhanced vo 3.wmv>
Great thread here.
Thanks.

 

My wife's uncle's plane that was shot down over Italy in WWII. The Germans shot one of the engines off. He walked the death march through the Pyrenees Mountains. Survived to live a long, wonderful life. Cecil Claflin is the guy and is at the upper, far left in front of a different plane