A Tuskegee Airman at North Weald

[TJJ]

We welcomed a very special visitor to North Weald on Tuesday 4 October – Colonel George Hardy – who flew as part of the 332nd Fighter Group, the Tuskegee Airmen, and whose wartime mount was the P51D Mustang 'Tall-In-The-Saddle'. George is a real gentleman, very friendly and easy to talk to. He described his combat missions over Germany, escorting B-24 Liberators and B-17s even as far as Berlin from Italy with the 15th Air Force. He also served in the Korean War as a co-pilot on B-29 bombers, and commanded a unit of Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar gunships in the Vietnam War conducting nighttime missions in search of transport on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

He is now 91 years old, although you would never know it, and lives in Florida. He has been in the UK for a week and has been re-acquainted with his Mustang several times. Peter flew him to Lakenheath, where he was guest of honour of modern day fighter pilots with the USAF. Getting into the back of a Mustang is not easy for someone of his advanced years, so he returned by road.

[C VEICH]

That is simply fantastic! Well done to Mr. Teichman.

[airnutz]

Ditto that! Top shelf gentlemen! I'm glad ya'll could lavish your attentions on Col Hardy!

[JimW]

Perhaps someone could forward this link to Chuck Yeager to show not all British people are unappreciative of American Airmen.

Peter is definitely one of the (many) nice guys in the UK Historic aviation scene

[Jerry O'Neill]

I've known George for quite a few years now and he's a great guy! Nice to see him up in a P-51!