And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Saturday, March 18, 2023
Lieutenant(jg) Tom ‘TK’ Killefer of VF-17 after a hard landing on Nissan Island in his Chance-Vought F4U ‘Corsair’, March 1944.
During World War II, Rowan served as a fighter pilot in the 8th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group[3] United States Army Air Forces.[2] He flew a Curtiss P-40N Warhawk, AAF Ser. No. 42-104949, currently recorded under civilian registration N537BR, from which he shot down two Japanese aircraft before being downed and seriously wounded in another P-40 over New Guinea. His military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.[citation needed]
Dunno if the LTjg pilot is there watching the ground crew fix his plane or is hanging out in the O club with a cold one. I hope the former but suspect the latter.
I found some info on facebook. He made a dead stick landing after a complete engine failure.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that; I'll research a little as well.
Deleteed mcmahon flew one, as did bob barker. if you remember dan rowan he flew a P-39 under his real name, Dan David.
ReplyDeleteDuring World War II, Rowan served as a fighter pilot in the 8th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group[3] United States Army Air Forces.[2] He flew a Curtiss P-40N Warhawk, AAF Ser. No. 42-104949, currently recorded under civilian registration N537BR, from which he shot down two Japanese aircraft before being downed and seriously wounded in another P-40 over New Guinea. His military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.[citation needed]
DeleteLucky man. My mom's cousin disappeared over Bougainville Island in a USMC F4U in November 1943. Mechanical? Hostile fire? No one knows.
ReplyDeleteDunno if the LTjg pilot is there watching the ground crew fix his plane or is hanging out in the O club with a cold one. I hope the former but suspect the latter.
ReplyDeleteLieutenant Tom Killefer, Distinguished Flying Cross
ReplyDeletehttps://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/313130