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                 Gilbert Lodge Blog
         The life and times of Mark and Paula Persons
Tuesday, July 24, 2012:  The Experimental Aircraft Association air show at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, continued with lots more to see.  A fighter pilot, complete with pistol, was dressed for the occasion.
A North American P-51 Mustang complete with drop-tanks for fuel to take the plane deep into Germany protecting Allied bombers in World War II.

Nose-art from some of those planes shows the sentiment of American air crews.
Many   A U.S. Marine B-25 Mitchell bomber.  They first flew in 1940 and were produced throughout World War II.  This type plane was made famous by Doolittle's Raid on Tokyo in 1942.

Devil Dog is definitely a plane with an attitude.
Mark remembers the U.S. Army Grumman OV-1 Mohawk, which he repaired avionics (aviation electronics) equipment on in Vietnam during 1968 and 1969.  It was a high-tech surveillance aircraft that was able to detect movement in the jungle using a Doppler radar as well as doing infra-red photography missions. 
Many A P-51 Mustang was on exhibit at the show.  It was one of the planes flown by one of the Tuskegee Airmen.

They flew the famous "Red Tail" P-51's providing air cover for bombers.  Not one Allied bomber was shot down by enemy aircraft while being escorted over Europe by Red Tails.  An outstanding record. 

Mark was excited to meet and shake hands with 92 year old Charles E. McGee, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen.  McGee became a 30 year career officer in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a Colonel in 1973.  He flew combat missions in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

McGee is the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Elder Statesman Award.

He is also an Eagle Scout and received two standing ovations for his talk that day. 

An Italian military camp, as it might have been seen in World War II.

Re-enactors love a show like this.
Glacier Girl, a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, is a part of the "Lost Squadron" of airplanes which crash landed on Greenland during World War II.  They ran into bad weather while ferrying planes across the Atlantic Ocean and set the planes down on ice.  Snow and ice eventually covered the plane until it was rescued from 260 feet below the surface in 1992....some 50 years after it crash landed.

This plane has twin Allison 3000 horsepower engines.  What a ride that must be!
The Sentimental Journey T-shirt shows Betty Grable from the 1940's.  A very popular pin-up.

"Russian to Get You" was seen on a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber.  Designed in the mid-1930's, this type plane was used to bomb Japan on July 18, 1942.  It became known as the Doolittle Raid. 

This particular B-52 was given to Russia to help fight Germany during World War II.  That was long before the USSR became the opponent in the free world's Cold War.  Nicely restored, it attracted many onlookers at the show. 

Many people attended ceremonies when a Vaught F4U Corsair fighter plane was shown off in War Bird Alley. 

A lady dressed in 1940's period costume and sang There'll Be Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs of Dover.  This hauntingly beautiful song got her a standing ovation.
Dedicated to those who served our country.  May they rest in peace.
Quote of the day:  Amazing the things to see and hear at EAA.   Mark    < Back to previous story Ahead to next story >

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page last edited 11/17/2012