After joining the US Navy in 1966, Randy 'Duke' Cunningham went to Vietnam with VF96, flying the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom.  He became the conflict's first fighter Ace, and was to become one of the most highly decorated Aces of the war.  With his RIO, Willie Driscoll, Duke achieved five victories in Vietnam, including 'three-in-a-day' on 10th May 1972.  He later assumed command of the elite Navy Adversary Squadron of the Miramar Top Gun program.  Retiring from the Navy, Duke was elected to Congress, where he now serves in the House of Representatives.

Willie Driscoll joined the Navy in 1969, and flew with VF96 in Vietnam.  Flying his first combat mission in November 1971, Willie went on to become an Ace flying with 'Duke' Cunningham, and completed 170 combat missions in the F4 Phantom.  He also completed a total of 652 deck landings at that time.  Flying with Cunningham on 10th May 1972, they shot down 3 MiGs, but themselves were shot down by a SAM the same day.  Willie Driscoll went on to serve at the Top Gun program.

Clark Clemons joined the service on December 15th 1942 and after training was posted to the Eight Air Force in England, joining the 84th Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group at Duxford.  Flying the P-51D, Clark flew 19 combat missions, including a brush with a Me163 rocket plane.  His last mission was escorting RAF Lancasters down over southern Europe on a near 7 hour trip.

Joining the service in January 1943, Wayne Coleman was posted to the 82nd Squadron, 78th Fighter Group at Duxford, near Cambridge in July 1944.  He flew the first of his 75 combat missions a few days later on August 2nd in P-47s, dive-bombing and strafing in support of the Normandy invasion before converting to P-51s at the end of the year.  Wayne shot down three Fw190s in a single mission and later an Me262 jet.  He flew continuously until the end of the war.

After leaving West Point in June 1943, Robin Olds was posted to the 479th Fighter Group in England, joining 434 Squadron.  Based at Wattisham in East Anglia, and flying P-38s, he was involved in heavy bomber escort duties and fighter sweeps until the Normandy invasion, soon after which his Squadron converted to P51 Mustangs.  by early 1945 Robin Olds was in command of 434 Squadron taking part in the Battle of the Bulge, flying escort missions, and providing air support to the airborne attack across the Rhine.  At the end of World War II Robin Olds had 24.5 victories, of which 13 were in the air.  Later in Vietnam Robin Olds gained four more victories, flying F4 Phantoms.

Bud Anderson went to England with the 357th Fighter Group in 1943, the first Eighth Air Force Group to be equipped with the P-51 Mustang.  He got himself on the score sheet on one of the first Berlin missions, dog fighting with a bunch of Me109s who had set upon a straggling B-17.  On 29th June 1944, leading his squadron on a mission to Leipzig, they ran into a formation of Fw190s.  In the ensuing battle Anderson shot down the leader, and two more Fw190s.  After a short rest in the U.S., Bud returned for a second tour, just in time for the 357th's big day on 27th November 1944.  With the 353rd they took on a huge formation of some 200 enemy fighters, Anderson adding three more to his score.  He finished the war with 16 air victories and many more probables.

'Ted' Conlin joined the service in July 1942, arriving in england in March 1944 to join the 362nd Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, flying P-51s.  He flew the first of his combat missions on 13th May 1944, and the next few weeks saw much activity in the build up to D-Day.  In September he took part in the air operations in support of Market Garden, the airborne landings in Holland around Arnhem and Nijmegen, and also escort on the 'Russian Shuttle' missions.  He finished his combat tour in November 1944.

John Skara joined the service in June 1942.  After training he was posted to England to join the 357th Fighter Group at Leiston in Suffolk, flying both the P51B and later the P51D.  He undertook his first combat mission in March 1944, and took part in the long and hazardous escort missions both to Russia, and to Italy.  For most of his combat tour he flew as wingman to Bud Anderson

Robert Winks joined the service in 1943, and after training was posted to England.  Flying his first combat mission in July 1944, he served with the 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group.  His year long tour in Europe took in the heavy fighting over the Battle of the Bulge, the missions to support the Arnhem operations, and the Battle of Berlin, when the 357th destroyed 56 enemy aircraft.  During this time he flew some 69 combat missions.  His personal P-51D was 'Trusty Rusty'.

Joining up on June 1st 1943, Turner Brashear arrived at Ridgewell in time to fly his first combat mission on 24th November 1944m with the 535th Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group.  He flew as aircraft commander on 27 missions right up to VE-Day.  On the 11th April 1945 returning from a mission to Munich, his B17 suffered a mid air collision over the Rhine, as another aircraft descended into his, shearing off the right horizontal stabilizer.  The bomber spun downwards for 8000ft before Turner managed to regain some control, coaxing his aircraft home with great skill.

Edward Klein joined the USAAF on 21st September 1941.  As a bombardier he was posted to England, and became part of the 381st Bomb Group, based at Ridgewell, flying B-17s with the 534th Bomb Squadron.  Ed Klein went on his first combat missions, to Germany, on 8th October, 1943, and the following day was under constant fighter attack for four and a half hours.  On 31st October he went to Schweinfurt.  On 6th March 1944 he flew on the first bombing of Berlin by American bombers.  Finishing his 25 mission tour in March 1944 he had been Squadron Leader, and Group Leader.  Ed Klein retired from the service in 1963.

Vincent Peters flew his first combat mission in October 1944 flying B17s with the 535th Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group out of Ridgewell.  He flew missions to attack the Nazi capital Berlin, to Cologne and Dresden, as well as targets in the Ruhr valley.  On 1st January 1945, during a mission supporting the Battle of the Bulge, his aircraft was hit and he and his crew were forced to bail out.

Commissioned in 1941, Darrell Welch was assigned to the 27th Squadron of the 1st Fighter Group, which became the first squadron to be equipped with the new P38 Lightning.  Arriving in England in August 1942, the 2st Fighter Group was part of a large American force despatched to Algiers in November for the North African campaign, where he made his first kill in January 1943 while escorting B17s over Tripoli.  A few months later, whilst leading the 27th on a big intercept mission, Welch became an Ace when he notched up a further three victories in the space of just twenty five minutes, bringing his tally up to five confirmed victories.  He later saw service in the Pacific, and retired the service in 1970.

John Bitzer joined the service in 1942 before tramsferring to England.  On 30th December 1943 flying the B-17G Fortress 'Maid to Please', on his very first combat mission his aircraft was shot down and he had to bail out.  John was taken prisoner by the Germans and remained in captivity until May 1945.

As Radio Operator on the B-17 'Mississippi Lady', Norman Bussel flew his first combat mission in March 1944 to Frankfurt.  On 29th April 1944 his aircraft was shot down over Berlin, the worst day for losses for the 447th during the entire war.  Bailing out with his clothes on fire, four of his crew died that day.  Norman was taken PoW for the rest of the war.

Edward Dingivan was pilot of 'Brass Wagon', flying his first combat mission to Neuminster , Germany in September 1944.  He completed a tour of 30 combat missions in the B-17.  after the war, Director of Traffic during the Berlin Airlift and Commander of the 35th Air Transport Squadron.  Later Military Executive to the Assistant Secretary of the US Air Force, he retired in 1969.

Frank Frision was Bombardier on the Fortress 'Bouncin Baby' flying his first mission on 2nd November 1944 when the Luftwaffe mounted one of their largest fighter operations of the war.  He flew the last of his 35 combat missions on 22nd March 1945, supporting the Rhine Crossings.

John Osbahr flew his first combat mission on 2nd November 1944, flying to Merseberg, Germany.  He was Ball-Turret Gunner in the B-17 'Bouncin Baby'.  John completed the last of his 32 missions in March 1945 on a mission to Dresden.

Pete Petrillo was a Waist Gunner on the B-17 'Bit o' Lace'.  He flew his first combat mission to Caen, France in August 1944, and the last of his 35 missions was in December 1944 to Mainz in Germany.  One of his memorable trips was a supply drop to the French Maquis.

Byron Schlag was the Tailgunner of B-17 'Ol Scrapiron', flying his first combat mission on 26th February 1945 to Berlin.  On 23rd March his B-17 collided mid-air with another B-17, cutting the tail off.  He managed to bail out at just 400ft; his ball-turret gunner fell in his turret from 23,000ft and survived.  The rest of the crew died.  Byron Schlag was taken PoW; he escaped and was recaptured four times.

Don Sherman was the ball-turret Gunner on the B-17 'Buddy Buddy'.  The first of his 31 combat missions was in December 1944 to Mainz in Germany.  His final mission was flown in April 1945 against German targets holding out a Royan in France.

The Captain and pilot of the 34th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress Queenie, Rolland Whited arrived in England with the 391st Bomb Squadron, 34th Bomb Group in April 1944.  He flew his first combat mission on June 20th.  A veteran of many heavy bombardment missions he flew on operations against Luftwaffe airfields, VI rocket sites, chemical plants and the railroad marshalling yards at Cologne and Ludwigshafen.  After completing 26 missions on B24s, the 34th re-equipped with B17 Flying Fortresses.  Rolland flew a further 8 missions on the B17, flying his final mission in January 1945.  He holds the Air Medal with three Oak clusters in addition to the Distinguished Flying Cross.

'Bob' Dees originally joined the Army Corps of Engineers in 1941 but transferred to the Air Corps for pilot training in Jan 1943.  Assigned to the 4th and then 18th Squadron, 34th Bomb Group, Bob flew the South Atlantic route to Mendlesham, England, in early 1944 and was soon in the thick of the action on operations against military and industrial targets in Germany and occupied Europe.  He flew the first of his 31 combat missions on 24th May 1944, flying the B24, before the 34th converted to B-17 Flying Fortresses on which he finished his tour.  He had flown 31 combat missions, 14 of which were as lead crew pilot.  Bob Dees was awarded the Air Medal with five Oak clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

'Bing' Bingaman joined the service in 1951, serving first with the 510th Fighter Bomber Squadron at Langley Field.  Flying the F-105 out of Thailand with the 355th TFW, he first saw combat over North Vietnam in September 1966 taking his Thud Jinkin Josie III through the Rolling Thunder Operations - missions involving visiting flak sites on the legendary attack on the Viet Tri power plant, and targets in Hanoi.

Max Brestel was commissioned and received his wings in 1957.  While a member of the 354th TFS he was the first American pilot to shoot down two MiGs in the Vietnam War whilst flying an F-105 on a raid against the Thai Nguyen steel mill on March 10th 1967.  He flew a total of 247 combat missions, including 107 over North Vietnam.

Graduating from West Point in 1945, Jack Broughton was initially assigned to Europe, flying P-47s and P-51s.  Converted to jets at Nellis AFB, he flew a combat tour in Korea in P-80s, and a second tour in F-84s.  After various operational positions he led the USAF Thunderbirds for three years - the world's first supersonic acrobatic team.  Jack commanded 2 tours in South east Asia flying the F-105 during Rolling Thunder missions.  In his long career he accomplished being combat ready in every Air Force Fighter from the P-47 to F-106.  During 4 combat tours he flew over 216 combat missions.  Jack has written two highly respected books - Thud Ridge and Going Downtown, both first hand accounts of the air war over South East Asia.  He retired from the Air Force in 1968.

Leo Thorsness flew 92.5 missions in the two seater F-105F Wild Weasels.  The job of these specially equipped models was to pinpoint the North Vietnamese SAM (surface to air) missile sites, by getting the sites to activate their radar and fire their missiles at them, so that F-105s could see, attack and destroy the SAM ground radar sites.  On April 19th 1967 for one such mission with the 357th TFS, Leo Thorsness was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.  On April 30th his luck ran out- he was shot down just 7 missions short of his combat tour.  Taken prisoner, he spent six years as a POW in North Vietnam.

John Alison served as Assistant Military Attache in England and later Russia.  His first combat tour was with the Flying Tigers in China, serving with the 23rd F G where he became an Ace.  He returned to China for a 2nd tour as Commander of the 1st Air Commando Force and led the glider assault carrying General Orde Wingate's forces behind enemy lines in Burma.  He finished the war with 8 victories.

After serving as a Navy Pilot, Tex Hill volunteered for the A.V.G., becoming Squadron Leader in the 2nd Sqn (Panda Bears) until disbandment in 1942, by which time he had 12.25 air victories.  He remained in China with the 75th F S /23rd F G before returning to the U.S.  He went back to China to command the 23rd F G, increasing his total to 18.25 victories.

In October 1943, Don was assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron/ 23 F G Flying Tigers, in Hengyang, China, and was soon in the thick of the fighting, scoring a victory in his very first air combat.  he completed his tour in 1945 as Squadron Operations Officer, having scored 5 air victories.  He later became Deputy Director of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington.

Resigning from the Marine Corps in 1941 to join the A.V.G., Chuck Older took part in the great 'Christmas' air battles over Rangoon shooting down 5 Japanese aircraft. With 10.25 victories to his credit he joined the 23rd F G when the A.V.G. was disbanded, flying P-51s.  He led the first strike against Shanghai resulting in the destruction of 77 Japanese aircraft.  He completed the war with 18.25 air victories.

Ed Rector originally flew dive bombers off carriers before being recruited into the A.V.G. flying with the 2nd Squadron.  Ed Rector was one of the five pilots who volunteered for continuous service in China after 4th July, 1942 and joined the 23rd Fighter Group.  He returned to China later for a 2nd tour of duty.  He had a total of 10.5 air victories.

Dick Rossi resigned his Navy commission in 1941 to join the A.V.G.  He saw combat over Burma and China flying at varying times with all three Flying Tiger squadrons, achieving 6.25 confirmed victories.  With disbandment of the A.V.G. in 1942, Rossi joined the China National Aviation Corporation, ferrying vital supplies on more than 750 trips across the Hump, from India into China.

After combat training with the Army Air Corps in 1943, Wiltz Segura joined the Flying Tigers in China, serving with the 75th Fighter Squadron/ 23rd Fighter Group.  Glying over 102 combat missions he was twice shot down by ground fire but managed to parachute from his disabled P-40 and evade capture by the Japanese.  He finished the war with 6 air victories.

Erik Shilling was amongst the first volunteer pilots with the A.V.G.  Although credited with only one air victory, Erik flew many dangerous photo missions in his P-40 modified for vital camera work, which included the removal of 4 of his machine guns.  In 1942 he joined the China National Airways flying 700 round trips over the Hump.

After training in the US, Erenst Bankey arrived in England for his first combat tour with the 364th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force in February 1944.  On 27th December during the Battle of the Bulge, his group ran into a large mass of Luftwaffe fighters whilst flying over the Bonn area of Germany,  In the melee of dogfighting that followed, Ernest Bankey shot down 5 enemy aircraft and shared another.  During his two tours in England, he flew over 110 combat missions and was credited with 11.5 aerial victories and another 5 on the ground.

Joining the USAAF in 1941, Don Cummings saw action in England, Africa and Italy, taking part in the Battle of Anzio.  Flying first with the 12th Air Force and then posted to the 8th Air Force in England, flying with the 39th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group out of Wormingford.  Don Cummings flew a total of 150 combat missions and on 25th February, 1945, became one of only two fighter Aces to shoot down two Me262 jet fighters on a single mission.  he then served in occupied Germany after the war ended.

'Bud' Mahurin gained a reputation as one of the USAAF's most colourful fighter Aces.  Arriving in the European theatre, flying with the 56th Fighter Group, he indulged in seventeen months of heavy aerial combat, during which he suffered one crash and was forced to bail out three times, finally landing behind enemy lines.  Undaunted he made contact with the French Resistance, and found his way back to England.  He had by this time shot down 21 German aircraft.  He then transferred to the South west Pacific where he added a Japanese aircraft to his score.  'Bud' Mahurin commanded the 4th Fighter Interceptor Group in Korea where he added 3.5 MiG-15s to his tally before being shot down, for the last time, to spend a gruelling sixteen months as a POW.

Commissioned in November 1943, Bill Allen was posted to England, joining the 55th Fighter Group based at Wormingford, on May 15th 1944.  Posted into the 343rd Fighter Squadron the following day, Bill flew his first combat mission on 14th June 1944.  He flew both P38 Lightnings and P51 Mustangs through his tour, becoming an Ace in one day on 5th September 1944, when he shot down 5 German aircraft whilst flying his P51 'Pretty Patty II'

Gerald Brown arrived in Europe in August 1943, completing his first tour with the 38th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, becoming the first P38 Ace in the 8th Air Force.  Volunteering for a second tour, this time flying P-51 Mustangs with the 334th FG, 4th Flying Group at Debden.  In September 1944 he was forced to bail out of his burning P-51 over enemy territory, but escaped to return to his squadron, and completed his second tour in November 1944.  Gerry Brown later flew in Korea, but was shot down, spending three years in captivity.

Gabby Gabreski was the top scoring 8th Air Force fighter Ace in Europe with 28.5 victories in World War II, plus further 6.5 in Korea.  Flying P47s with the 56th Fighter Group, his illustrious career in Europe came to a spectacular end, when, strafing an airfield his aircraft touched the ground.  He crash landed and was taken prisoner.

Jim Goodson joined the RAF in 1940.  Posted to re-form 133 Eagle Squadron RAF flying Spitfires, he transferred to the USAAF 4th fighter Group in September 1942, commanding 336 Squadron.  Flying P47s and then P51s, Jim Goodson flew continuously until he was shot down ten months before the end of the war.  He was one of the most highly decorated Aces in the USAAF, with 32 enemy aircraft to his credit.

Volunteering for the RAF in 1941, he joined 71 Eagle Squadron RAF, flying Spitfires, transferring into the USAAF 4th Fighter Group in October 1942.  On 5th March he got his 10th victory in a P51 on an escort mission over France, but was forced down through engine failure.  Evading capture he served behind enemy lines with the French Resistance, the American OSS, and the British SOE.  He returned to England in September 1944 following the Allied liberation of Paris.

Jimmy Doolittle was one of the great aviation heroes of the 20th Century - a man of extraordinary ability and courage, whose lifetime spanned the entire era of aviation.  He became an Army pilot at 17, and after just missing WWI, took to air racing and record breaking.  With a Doctorate in aeronautical sciences, Doolittle helped pioneer instrument flying and develop high octane aviation fuel.  After Pearl Harbor he assembled his famous Tokyo Raiders, masterminded and led the historic mission, and won the Medal of Honour - yet for Doolittle this was only the beginning of an illustrious career in World War II.  As a General he commanded the air war over Italy and North Africa, and then promoted Supreme Commander of the 8th Air Force in Europe.  Jimmy Doolittle attained almost everything achievable in the world of aviation, and earned the admiration of all who served with him, and the gratitude of a nation.

Dan Lafferty flew in F-4 Phantoms out of Ubon in Thailand during the Vietnam war, and was part of the first bombing mission against a North Vietnamese airfield. Dan Lafferty flew as back-seater to Robin Olds on the low level strike against the steel mill at Thai Nguyen.  Finishing his tour in Vietnam in August 1967, with a MiG to his credit he remained in the Air Force and retired in 1985.

409th B. G.  37 mission A-26 pilot, buzzed Paris with other Group planes on VE Day, and told us 'we blew the dust off the Arc de Triomphe!'  

Arthur Milow was Commanding Officer of the 643rd Squadron, 409th Bomb Group, and commanded a total of 66 combat missions flying the Douglas A20 Havoc, and A26 Invader.  He flew combat missions during the D-Day operations, and later took part in the Battle of the Bulge.

Navigator Dick Denison's first combat missions were flown during the D-Day invasion, flying C47s towing gliders into the Normandy bridgehead, and making casualty evacuations.  He transferred to the 552nd Squadron, 386th Bomb Group flying the Martin B26 Marauder, before converting over to the Douglas A26 Invader.  Dick completed a total of 40 combat missions during his tour.

Receiving his pilots wings in 1942, Bill Mitchell trained on high altitude P38 Lightnijngs, to become a photo-reconnaissance pilot.  Arriving in England in November 1943, he joined the 30th Photo-Reconnaissance Squadron, of which he was the commander for its missions with the Ninth Air Force.  Bill flew a total of eighty-five operational missions, including three on D-Day. 

Clayton Gross was one of 12 original pilots to fly with the 355th fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group.  He first saw combat in 1943, and took part in the great D-Day air operations on 6th June 1944.  He flew over 100 combat missions in two combat tours on P51s, was credited with 6 confirmed kills (including an Me262 jet), 14 damaged, multiple ground vehicles destroyed, including 8 locomotives.  He survived one bail-out behind enemy lines, and flew continuously in the ETO until VE Day.

Maurice Long arrived in England in 1943, assigned to the 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group.  Flying the P51B Mustang he served as a Flight Commander, operations Officer and Squadron Commander, achieving 8 and a half victories.  In the ETO he took part in the vital D-Day missions over Normandy, later moving with the Squadron to French soil.  In a long career he took part in 140 combat missions flying P51s in the ETO, and later F84s in Korea.

Don Strait received his pilots wings in January 1943.  In August of that year he transferred with the Fighter Group to Martlesham Heath in England flying first the P47.  He took part in long range bomber escort and ground support missions, taking part in all the D-Day operations, before converting to P51s. In two combat tours he flew a total of 122 missions, commanded the 361st Fighter Squadron, and became the Group's leading fighter Ace with 13 and a half air victories, all but three of these flying the P51.  He later commanded the 108th Tactical Wing in Korea, where he flew the F86, F84, and F105 jet.