K-L, thank you for the post. The cloudy weather caused nearly all of the USAAF recon missions over the Ardennes/Schnee Eifel area to either be aborted or return with no results. There were a couple of air recce flights that spotted some signs of a possible build up but the weather kept additional recon from confirming. Jaffee was probably flying the recce version of the early Allison powered P-51As that were referred to as a F-6 for photo recon.
Death of WWII vets is an irreplaceable loss
Sunday, May 27, 2012 Last updated: Monday May 28, 2012, 6:22 AM
BY JAY LEVIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Scan the obituaries in today’s paper — or any day — for sobering proof that the Greatest Generation is dwindling fast.
You’ll see a death notice for an American World War II veteran. Or two. Or more.
Some 270,000 World War II vets died in 2011, an average of 740 a day, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Another 248,000 are projected to die this year.
The 4 North Jersey veterans who died on the same day
A few who saw action in WWII may live into the 2030s
The United States lost 270,000 World War II veterans last year — and one veteran of World War I.
Frank Buckles, 110, of West Virginia was our last surviving serviceman from “The War to End All Wars,” fought from April 1917 to November 1918.
America won’t mark the passing of its last World War II vet until well into the 2030s, or even the decade after that.
Work the math. The war officially ended with Japan’s formal surrender on Sept. 2, 1945. Department of Veterans Affairs spokesman Phil Budahn notes “there were a number of underage servicemen who went off and did their bidding” in the war. That means a 17-year-old who served at the tail end of hostilities would be 84 now. And if that 84-year-old is blessed with Frank Buckles-style genes and robust health, he’ll be turning 110 in 2038.
Taking into consideration lengthening life expectancies, the VA expects World War II veterans to be around for a while. The agency projects that 370 will be alive on Sept. 30, 2036 — 91 years after the end of the war.
http://www.northjersey.com/elmwoodpark/052612_Death_of_WWII_vets_is_an_irreplaceable_loss.html
Thanks for the ping. May he rest in peace.