Ace Of Aces

SimS · Nov 30, 2001

Major Bong. I think his plane was the P-38. I believe he fought in the Pacific. I have a piece of his canopy from his last flight. His P-80 flamed out and crashed. He was lost. My father worked for Lockheed and was part of the recovery team. Great pilot and he is the Ace of Aces.

MossRoad · Nov 30, 2001

I told you I cheated, but SimS is right! Here's a great link
http://www.acepilots.com

 MossRoad

PitbullMidwest · Nov 30, 2001

Bingo! or is that Bongo? After 40 kills Dick Bong was sent back to the states "to marry Marge and raise lots of toe-headed swedes".

As SimS stated he was the test pilot for the P-80 and died when it stalled on take-off. In irony he died August 6, 1945, the day the first atomic bomb was dropped.

SimS, I'm JD green with envy over your piece of history.

Edited by PitbullMidwest on 11/30/01 03:08 PM (server time).

MossRoad · Nov 30, 2001

That is an awsome piece of history.

 MossRoad

SimS · Nov 30, 2001

Pittbull;
You have the right date. My father scratched onto the piece of canopy:
"Maj. Bong Crash
Aug 6 1945 300 PM"

I forgot about the irony of the A-Bomb date. My father recalled that the entire Lockheed "family" was crushed by the loss of such a great pilot.

Sim

LazyK · Dec 1, 2001

Are Pitbulls or one type called Lankershire Terriers?
Speaking of Aces, with great coincidence, I just got off the phone with my Godfather of Baptism, Col. Francis "Gabby" Gabreski, USAF. He's been retired for many years and lives in New York. Sadly, my phone call was to let him know that my Father, Arthur F. Kelly, a commercial aviation pioneer and former president, CEO, and chairman of the board of
Western Airlines(now Delta) passed away Tuesday, Nov. 20th. Because of Gabby and my Dad, I was priveleged to attend, 10 or so years ago, the Annual Banquet and Reunion of Expermental Test Pilots. The
men I met were of a very special nature. Many were aces, like my Godfather. All the aviators there, at one time or another, had "...reached out and touched the Hand of God."

Lazy K - Chip

PitbullMidwest · Dec 1, 2001

...my Godfather of Baptism, Col. Francis "Gabby" Gabreski

Now how cool is that! I fell in love with WWII aviation at a young age and the first book I can remember reading about it was "American Aces of World War II". Stories about Gabby were always a good read.

Boyington was a self-confessed SOB but Gabby, as you know, is a class act.

Are Pitbulls or one type called Lankershire Terriers? 

Haven't a clue. I'm called Pitbull because I tend to bite too soon, harder than I mean too and don't always know when to let go of something.

dmccarty · Dec 3, 2001

PitBull,

Did you read Boyington's biography? I have it somewhere and he sure was an interesting guy. Some of his POW experiences where off the wall.....

For a few years I lived in Boynton Beach, Florida. I never did find out why the town was named Boynton but there must have been some family connection at some point. The town used to be a small little beach town in Florida but now its all built up down there so its just one city abutting another city. USED to be a great place to live....

Later...
Dan McCarty

bky · Dec 3, 2001

sounds like you all are ww2 buffs. have any of you flown on any of the online sims games? i fly in ah great place. heres a link they have a main areina and the free area that i fly in

PitbullMidwest · Dec 4, 2001

Dan,

Mom bought me "Baa Baa Black Sheep" for a birthday present when I was 12. I remember thinking "Aw come on mom, a book?" but I read it anyway. I've re-read it many times since and it's always enjoyable.

Fellow Black Sheep berated the book because Boyington portrayed them as trouble-makers like himself but took greater offence at the movie "Flying Misfits" and the TV show "Black Sheep Squadron".

Some of his POW experiences where off the wall.....

Yeah, you could say that. The guard and the duck stands out in my mind pretty well. To many other events to talk about without writing a book report.

When my son is an appropriate age, I'll try to get him to read it too.

Later,

Edited by PitbullMidwest on 12/04/01 09:06 AM (server time).