anytime I take off in il2, i think of............

[George Formby]

S~

Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR to

CAPTAIN JOSEPH J. FOSS
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For outstanding heroism and courage above and beyond the call of duty as Executive Officer of a Marine Fighting Squadron, at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Engaging in almost daily combat with the enemy from October 9 to November 19, 1942, Captain Foss personally shot down twenty-three Japanese planes and damaged others so severely that their destruction was extremely probable. In addition, during this period, he successfully led a large number of escort missions, skillfully covering reconnaissance, bombing and photographic planes as well as surface craft. On January 15, 1943, he added three more enemy planes to his already brilliant successes for a record of aerial combat achievement unsurpassed in this war. Boldly searching out an approaching enemy force on January 25, Captain Foss led his eight F4F Marine planes and four Army P-38s into action and, undaunted by tremendously superior numbers, intercepted and struck with such force that four Japanese fighters were shot down and the bombers were turned back without releasing a single bomb. His remarkable flying skill, inspiring leadership and indomitable fighting spirit were distinctive factors in the defense of strategic American positions on Guadalcanal.

/S/ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Guys like Foss, Boyington, Bong and plenty others...........

[Medar]

~S~ and absolutely.

I just read a biography on Boyington - man what a piece of work. Brilliant flyer...bit of an embellisher...and what a screwed up family life (his whole life).

If I would have been more aware as a child - I would have written to him thanking him and asking for an autograph. He almost always answered any mail he received, and actually corresponded with many people regularly over the years. He died when I was a kid...

His record might not have been quite what is officially recorded, but even so - what a hell of a story.

---------------------

I would like to find a book on Bruce Carr (have not looked yet). He is one of the pilots I latched onto when I became involved in this game...and was a P-51 ace. I could not find a skin modeled after his particular bird, so "Angel's Playmate" was the first skin I did...I never uploaded it - but still use it when flying 51's.

Reading one of the seminal books on the Tigers right now "Flying Tigers" by Daniel Ford. After that going to look for another biography on a WWII ace.

[S.L.N]

has always been my favorite, too bad he died in the damned shooting star

[Medar]

Richard Bong - good story as well. Think he is one of the pilots I read about that would crawl RIGHT up the enemy's butt before firing. Crazy stuff.

[S.L.N]

yep, fellow pilots said he had a crazy hit accuracy (by real life standards)
and if he got in a situation he didnt like, he ran.

[[RS]Senyu]

Reading all this on those pilots reminds me of talks with my uncle. He was on Henderson field in 1943 to about near the end of the war and Joe Foss was his commander. He was a crew chief on the Wildcat's. Some of the stories are amazing to me, he's still alive today and I still sit with him and just listen. He remembers when the P-38's came back from shooting down Yamamoto's plane and doing a barrel roll over the field. During the later years of the war he was sent out on a "mop up" tour on the USS Bunkerhill, and was on it when it was hit by a kamakaze!
My grandmothers cousin (who has recently passed) was a belly gunner on a B-17 over Germany. He was shot down and was taken prisoner in Stalag 17. He still had his POW card and other papers from his time there, which he had shown me. His stories also were amazing.

On a final note, in 1982 I attended the Reno air races and was walking around and who did I come across! Pappy Boyington signing autographs. I spoke to him for some time, but man was he grumpy. But he did talk to me and I still hold that day in high regard.

I could go on further but to many stories to tell, but wanted to share this with you guys.