P-38 aces - Travis AFB 29 October

[Mike]

Some photos of the aces present at the symposium held at Travis AFB on 29 October. A fascinating afternoon, it was especially interesting to hear the 2 475th FG pilots present describe how Charles Lindbergh was attached to the Group for a while, and was a big help to them in educating the pilots in how to increase the range of their P-38s by leaning out the mixture, reducing revs and increasing boost slightly on long missions.

The pilots on the panel, seated L-R, Joe Forster (475th FG, Pacific), Art Jeffrey (479th FG, Europe), John Loisel (475th FG), Joel Owens (1st FG, North Africa/Italy), Darryl Welch (1st FG). In the rear were some other aces who were also present, P-38 acesa Niall Castle and Herb Ross, and Navy F6F Hellcat aces Ted Crosby and Ralph Folz.



Some wartime shots of the aces with their aircraft

Joe Forster (9 kills)



Art Jeffrey (14 kills, some of which were while flying the P-51)



John Loisel (a former Group Commander of the 475th for the last few days of the war, 11 kills)



Joel Owens (quite a hellraiser by all accounts, 5 kills)



Darryl Welch (lifelong friend of Joel Owens, 5 kills)



Any more details on these fine gentlemen would be much appreciated (Jack Cook?)