Several yrs. ago I was in the waiting room of a medical lab waiting my turn.
An old couple walked in. The man wearing a ‘P-51’ emblazoned ball cap.
I went over sat down next to him, thanked him for his service and started talking about the plane.
He told me he loved flying the P-51 but his real love was with the Thunderbolt.
His turn for blood work came up and I talked to his wife for a few minutes.
She told me her husband had told her that if he could have he would have married that P-47.
great story!...The P-47 was so powerful it was like a small fast bomber.
Few pay much attention, but the A-10 is named after the P-47.
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Jug and The Warthog.
There are stories of the jug's coming in with holes in them big enough to crawl through, wings shortened by several inches and cylinders shot off but they still came home.
I don't blame them for having a deep affection for that bird.