RIP
Actually, the last combat mission was flown by a photo unit of B-32 Dominators on August 18.
They were intercepted by 4 N1K George fighters, Photographer Staff Sergeant Joseph Lacharite was wounded in the legs (his recovery required several years). Sergeant Anthony Marchione, a photographer's assistant, helped Lacharite and then was fatally wounded himself.
Marchione was the last American to die in air combat in World War II.
A very nice homage to Cpt Yellin.
I didn’t want to click on NYT but was worth it.
RIP Sir.
Thank You and the rest of the Greatest Generation for keeping us from having to speak Japanese or German.
Heard about Yellin story on C Span!
RIP.
RIP....
"...They will live a long time, these men of the South Pacific. They had an American quality. They, like their victories, will be remembered as long as our generation lives. After that, like the men of the Confederacy, they will become strangers. Longer and longer shadows will obscure them, until their Guadalcanal sounds distant on the ear like Shiloh and Valley Forge..."
It applies to all these men, not just those of the South Pacific. You could substitute "Schweinfurt" for "Guadalcanal", and "European Theater" for "South Pacific" and it would mean just the same.
Every time one of them passes, I hear this passage. My dad was one of those men. How I miss him.
RIP, Sir.
The story is definitely worth a read. A few surprises there. I don’t know if it’s the same airplane, but somebody did a bang-up restoration of the Dorrie R P-51 he’s standing next to.
“...he joined the Army Air Corps in February 1942...”
The U.S. Army Air Corps became the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1941. Fail for NY Times reporter.
So how long does it take to become a “fighter pilot”?
Compared to today vs. in the middle of WWII?
Fighter pilots at 19 years old. I had no idea. Interesting that he flew P51 Mustangs. An ex wife’s uncle was a P51 instructor during WWII outside Waco, Texas.
I met Jerry two years ago on a one day tour of Iwo Jima. My father fought and was wounded there, which makes me a descendant. He fit well in his WWII uniform and looked like he could climb into a cockpit.
He and I were on the same flight returning to the States and he charmed all the ladies.
RIP Jerry
RIP.