Merle Gustafason Still Getting Mo Fame

jedrickj · **Joined:** Fri Jun 25, 2010 9:14 pm **Posts:** 3

Robbie Stuart wrote:

Merle flew shows in Don Weber's "Buster" 44-73254, which was better known back then as "Damfino" , Phil "Buck" Dear's "Big Beautiful Doll" 44-72811, which flew in bare metal awhile before it was painted, & I remember one year we were in Harligen he gave a ride to the WWII pilot that actually flew Charles Kemp's "Mary Mine" 44-64005 in that airplane (sorry I can't recall that combat pilot's name). There were probably other P-51's Merle flew, but I just don't remember. One of the last year's we were down in the valley he checked out in the Buchon, & the P-47. Merle could bout fly anything. :shock:

I wish I new where I could get a copy of "Country Boy" myself.
Robbie :f4u:

I know this is like 4 years late, but I just came across this discussion. I always wondered what happened to Damfino. My dad was an agri-pilot in New Roads La. He knew Don and Merle both. I remember going to Baton Rouge to see the P-51 when it was being restored. The original name Damfino according to Don had to do with him constantly being asked "when's it going to be done" (the restoration) and he responded "Damfino". That's the story I was told by him that day when I asked. The local press in Baton Rouge were doing a story on the plane and Don flew the plane to New Roads and took the camera man up as well as the reporter. It is a beautiful airplane. He made several passes down the run way and rolled it climbing out. It has stuck with me as it was the first time that I was that close to a P-51 and got to crawl around on one. I was around 14 or 15. It was mid to late 1970's that I remember.

My dad flew out of New Roads from about 1974 to about 1984 or thereabouts. The way we know Merle is that Merle owned some land where we were and instead of him trying to fly his property that far south, my Dad got the work and we flew for him.

Question though, when did Don change the name to Buster and why? Does anyone know?

Also do you know Benny Dupuy and did you know Joe Hartung?

Rick Weldon

famvburg · **Joined:** Fri Oct 07, 2005 9:41 am **Posts:** 540

I, too, am a late-comer to this thread. I'm 20 miles from the museum in Tallulah & still haven't made it over there. 4 years already! Anyway, wasn't Damfino owned by Robbie Jones originally?

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:10 pm

jedrickj wrote:

Robbie Stuart wrote:

Merle flew shows in Don Weber's "Buster" 44-73254, which was better known back then as "Damfino" , Phil "Buck" Dear's "Big Beautiful Doll" 44-72811, which flew in bare metal awhile before it was painted, & I remember one year we were in Harligen he gave a ride to the WWII pilot that actually flew Charles Kemp's "Mary Mine" 44-64005 in that airplane (sorry I can't recall that combat pilot's name). There were probably other P-51's Merle flew, but I just don't remember. One of the last year's we were down in the valley he checked out in the Buchon, & the P-47. Merle could bout fly anything. :shock:

I wish I new where I could get a copy of "Country Boy" myself.
Robbie :f4u:

I know this is like 4 years late, but I just came across this discussion. I always wondered what happened to Damfino. My dad was an agri-pilot in New Roads La. He knew Don and Merle both. I remember going to Baton Rouge to see the P-51 when it was being restored. The original name Damfino according to Don had to do with him constantly being asked "when's it going to be done" (the restoration) and he responded "Damfino". That's the story I was told by him that day when I asked. The local press in Baton Rouge were doing a story on the plane and Don flew the plane to New Roads and took the camera man up as well as the reporter. It is a beautiful airplane. He made several passes down the run way and rolled it climbing out. It has stuck with me as it was the first time that I was that close to a P-51 and got to crawl around on one. I was around 14 or 15. It was mid to late 1970's that I remember.

My dad flew out of New Roads from about 1974 to about 1984 or thereabouts. The way we know Merle is that Merle owned some land where we were and instead of him trying to fly his property that far south, my Dad got the work and we flew for him.

Question though, when did Don change the name to Buster and why? Does anyone know?

Also do you know Benny Dupuy and did you know Joe Hartung?

Rick Weldon

=======================================================================================
Hi Rick, I don't know Benny (that I remember), & I don't believe I ever met Joe. The story about Damfino is the same as Don told me. Yes he did fly the airplane with that name, & it was sometime after I left South Louisiana, that it was named "Buster". (early 1980's)
Robbie

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:13 pm

famvburg wrote:

I, too, am a late-comer to this thread. I'm 20 miles from the museum in Tallulah & still haven't made it over there. 4 years already! Anyway, wasn't Damfino owned by Robbie Jones originally?

========================================================
I seem to remember that Robbie Jones had a Mustang, but I believe Don built "Damfino" from parts.

Robbie

airnutz · **Posted:** Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:44 pm

T J Johansen wrote:

Robbie Stuart wrote:

In 1975, Pennzoil filmed a documentary about his life, called “The Country Boy,” and the oil company used segments of the footage in commercials the following year.

Is this film available anywhere?

T J

That show may have been part of a Pennzoil sponsored series..IIRC, "Legends of Speed" maybe? I remember it
mostly for an episode recording Bob Reichardt's resurrection of Mr. Mulligan remains and his ill-fated speed run at
Tonopah resulting in the death of he and his wife.

I don't recall the Gustafason episode tho.

famvburg · **Joined:** Fri Oct 07, 2005 9:41 am **Posts:** 540

I'll have to see if I can find some of my old pics. I remember after Robbie sold his Corsair (#22 Marines w/ the checkerboard cowl, "Whistling Death", like the old Monogram model & a little die cast toy Corsair from the '70s) he had a Mustang & I was sure it was Damfino. When I graduated high school in '79, Merle gave me a beach towel & said it was from Miss Sylvia & Steve & that he was going to give me a ride in Robbie's Mustang since it had 2 seats & the Corsair didn't. We never got around to doing that ride.

Robbie Stuart wrote:

famvburg wrote:

I, too, am a late-comer to this thread. I'm 20 miles from the museum in Tallulah & still haven't made it over there. 4 years already! Anyway, wasn't Damfino owned by Robbie Jones originally?

========================================================
I seem to remember that Robbie Jones had a Mustang, but I believe Don built "Damfino" from parts.

Robbie

famvburg · **Joined:** Fri Oct 07, 2005 9:41 am **Posts:** 540

I don't think it was really a documentary of his life, but more like a few days or a couple of weeks in his life. The VHS copy I have is pretty rough & I've only watched it a couple of times & not recently, but it wasn't much of a history.

airnutz wrote:

T J Johansen wrote:

Robbie Stuart wrote:

In 1975, Pennzoil filmed a documentary about his life, called “The Country Boy,” and the oil company used segments of the footage in commercials the following year.

Is this film available anywhere?

T J

That show may have been part of a Pennzoil sponsored series..IIRC, "Legends of Speed" maybe? I remember it
mostly for an episode recording Bob Reichardt's resurrection of Mr. Mulligan remains and his ill-fated speed run at
Tonopah resulting in the death of he and his wife.

I don't recall the Gustafason episode tho.

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:58 pm

famvburg wrote:

I'll have to see if I can find some of my old pics. I remember after Robbie sold his Coesair (#22 Marines w/ the checkerboard cowl, "Whistling Death", like the old Monogram model & a little die cast toy Corsair from the '70s) he had a Mustang & I was sure it was Damfino. When I graduated high school in '79, Merle gave me a beach towel & said it was from Miss Sylvia & Steve & that he was going to give me a ride in Robbie's Mustang since it had 2 seats & the Corsair didn't. We never got around to doing that ride.

Robbie Stuart wrote:

famvburg wrote:

I, too, am a late-comer to this thread. I'm 20 miles from the museum in Tallulah & still haven't made it over there. 4 years already! Anyway, wasn't Damfino owned by Robbie Jones originally?

========================================================
I seem to remember that Robbie Jones had a Mustang, but I believe Don built "Damfino" from parts.

Robbie

==========================================================================================
If you have any old pics from back then, Please post them I would love to see them.

famvburg · **Joined:** Fri Oct 07, 2005 9:41 am **Posts:** 540

I have oodles of pics from the mid '70s to about 1981, especially late '70s. I think they're pretty well buried in storage right now. My friends (& maybe others

) used to pick at me 'cause I carried my little Kodak Super Tele Insta Matic camera to airshows. It used the little 110 mm cartridges & took outstanding pics. I think it was under-appreciated, especially by the fancy 35 mm crowd, but the film was cheap, the camera was small & I could carry dozens & dozens of film cartridges & take all the pics I wanted & they weren't expensive to have the pics developed, either. I think I'd come back with a couple of hundred pics from Harlingen every year! I was well known at my local Walgreens photo dept.!

'81 was my last year for Harlingen & I rarely went to airshows afterwards, outside of a few in the Jackson, Ms. area.

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Sat Jun 26, 2010 3:52 pm

famvburg wrote:

I have oodles of pics from the mid '70s to about 1981, especially late '70s. I think they're pretty well buried in storage right now. My friends (& maybe others

) used to pick at me 'cause I carried my little Kodak Super Tele Insta Matic camera to airshows. It used the little 110 mm cartridges & took outstanding pics. I think it was under-appreciated, especially by the fancy 35 mm crowd, but the film was cheap, the camera was small & I could carry dozens & dozens of film cartridges & take all the pics I wanted & they weren't expensive to have the pics developed, either. I think I'd come back with a couple of hundred pics from Harlingen every year! I was well known at my local Walgreens photo dept.!

'81 was my last year for Harlingen & I rarely went to airshows afterwards, outside of a few in the Jackson, Ms. area.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Start digging man, we need to see those pics

I did Harlingen 80, 81, 83.

Punisher05 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 26, 2010 4:14 pm

Guys-

Is this the P-51 in question? All pictures taken on the ramp at Ryan Field (BTR) in 2008.

In a lot of ways, growing up in BR and seeing this plane got me interested in warbirds. In 2008, the MSY Ops guys had to evacuate to BTR (due to Hurricane Gustav) and we helped them reopen their airfield first. I wasn't too thrilled to see the old girl (and a mystery T-28) out in the storm.

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Sat Jun 26, 2010 4:19 pm

Punisher05 wrote:

Guys-

Is this the P-51 in question? All pictures taken on the ramp at Ryan Field (BTR) in 2008.

In a lot of ways, growing up in BR and seeing this plane got me interested in warbirds. In 2008, the MSY Ops guys had to evacuate to BTR (due to Hurricane Gustav) and we helped them reopen their airfield first. I wasn't too thrilled to see the old girl (and a mystery T-28) out in the storm.

=========================================================================
Yea Man that's the one. I think that is Mary Weber's T-28 (Don's wife) in the first pic.

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Sat Jun 26, 2010 4:33 pm

Don't want to get to far off subject about Merle, but this is an aircraft he flew a good bit.....................

I was a lot younger then :shock:

I hope Don won't run over me :shock:

Those two were New Iberia LA 1980????????

Oil leak at Vicksburg on the way to Pine Bluff.

Pine Bluff

From the B-23, Merle flying the Weber's B-25, & Don off to the right in 'DAMNFINO'!

T J Johansen · **Posted:** Sun Jun 27, 2010 7:10 am

famvburg wrote:

I, too, am a late-comer to this thread. I'm 20 miles from the museum in Tallulah & still haven't made it over there. 4 years already! Anyway, wasn't Damfino owned by Robbie Jones originally?

Robbie Jones P-51D was N51AB "Miss Escort", an ex- Australian airframe.
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51regis ... 68100.html

Forumite Steve Guilford has got a photo of it that his father, the late Bob Guilford shot years ago on his website.
http://www.steveguilford.com/photoGallery/

T J

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Sun Jun 27, 2010 10:33 am

T J Johansen wrote:

famvburg wrote:

I, too, am a late-comer to this thread. I'm 20 miles from the museum in Tallulah & still haven't made it over there. 4 years already! Anyway, wasn't Damfino owned by Robbie Jones originally?

Robbie Jones P-51D was N51AB "Miss Escort", an ex- Australian airframe.
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51regis ... 68100.html

Forumite Steve Guilford has got a photo of it that his father, the late Bob Guilford shot years ago on his website.
http://www.steveguilford.com/photoGallery/

T J

==================================================================
Thanks TJ, I knew someone here could come up with the answer, because I was starting to just say DAMNFINO :shock:

Robbie

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Merle Gustafason Still Getting Mo Fame

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