I give thanks for these aircraft that have guarded & defended the Free World, & the people that flew, crewed, & did all the jobs that you never think about to support their mission!
Gotta start off with my Dad. Lt Charles Stuart 381st Fighter Squadron, 363rd Fighter Group, 9th AAF WW2, (aircraft B3 E "STINKY")
320th Bomb Group B-26 at the end of WW2.

B-26-midway
Description: First Lieutenant James Muri's aircrew and its USAAF B-26A which made torpedo-attack on Nagumo's carriers in early morning June 4 during the Battle of Midway, June 1942. 1st. Lt. Muri is second from left, in the front row.

U.S. Army Air Force Consolidated B-24H Liberator bombers of the 458th Bombardment Group (Heavy) over the North Sea with a close escort of North American P-51B/D Mustangs of the 352nd Fighter Group in 1944/45. The B-24s visible were from the 753rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (J4), and the 754th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (Z5).

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Vought OS2U-3 "Kingfisher" is recovered by en:USS Baltimore (CA-68) after she had rescued Lieutenant George M. Blair from Truk Lagoon, 18 February 1944. Plane's pilot is Lieutenant Denver F. Baxter. His radioman, ARMC Reuben F. Hickman, is on the wing, preparing to attach the plane so it can be hoisted on board. Blair's F6F "Hellcat", of Fighting Squadron Nine from en:USS Essex (CV-9), had been shot down during the dawn fighter sweep over Truk.

US NAVY PHOTO
Three U.S. Navy Douglas TBD-1 Devastators assigned to the Naval Operational Training Command at Naval Air Station Miami, Florida (USA), in flight over South Florida, 1942/43. NAS Miami and NAS Ft. Lauderdale were home to Operational Training Units for the instruction of U.S. Navy torpedo-bomber pilots. The last TBD was retired in early 1944.

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A U.S. Navy Grumman FM-2 Wildcat fighter gets a "wave-off" from the Landing Signal Officer, while attempting to land on the escort carrier USS Makin Island (CVE-93), about 1944.

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A U.S. Marine Corps Vought F4U-1 Corsair of Marine fighter squadron VMF-213 Hell Hawks is warming up for fight from the flight deck of the escort carrier USS Copahee (ACV-12), on 29 March 1943.

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USAF Captain Frank W. Crobett of the 17th Bomb Wing (Light) climbing out of his Douglas B-26 Invader after his last combat mission, April 1953. Original caption: "FIFTH AIR FORCE, KOREA--Capt. Frank W. Corbett, 726 First Ave., Gadsen, Ala., climbs out of his U.S. Air Force 17th Bomb Wing B-26 "Invader" after his final combat mission over North Korea , ca. 04/1953"

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Crewmen arm U.S. Marine Corps Vought F4U-4B Corsair fighters with 12.7 cm (5 in) rockets and napalm canisters aboard the escort carrier USS Badoeng Strait (CVE-116), during operations off the Korean coast on 1 December 1950. The aircraft were assigned to Marine fighter squadron VMF-323 Death Rattlers.

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U.S. Air Force North American T-6s are parked in a revetment area at an advanced airstrip in Korea, on 9 March 1953. The Texans were used in Korea by forward air controllers.

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A Grumman F9F-2 Panther of fighter squadron VF-52 Knight Riders aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge (CV-45) on 4 July 1950.

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Engine maintence at Ladd AFB on an F-82, Winter 1951

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The last flight crew and ground support personel for the F-82 Twin Mustang, Ladd AFB, 1953.

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A U.S. Air Force Lockheed EC-121R Constellation of the 553rd Reconnaissance Wing over Southeast-Asia on 15 January 1969.

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A U.S. Air Force C-47 releases psychological warfare leaflets near Nha Trang, South Vietnam. 1969

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A U.S. Air Force Sikorsky HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant helicopter of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron as seen from the gunner's position a helicopter of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, Vietnam, October 1972.

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A Vought A-7A Corsair II (BuNo. 153223) of attack squadron VA-147 Argonauts en route to North Vietnam in 1968/69. VA-147 was assigned to Attack Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CVA-61) during the deployment from 26 Oct 1968 to 17 May 1969 to Vietnam. The aircraft is armed with 227 kg (500 lb) Mk 82 bombs and AIM-9D Sidewinder air-to-air missiles (photographed from a VA-165 A-6 Intruder).

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A camouflaged U.S. Navy Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King helicopter on the fantail of the guided missile destroyer USS Mahan (DLG-11) in May 1967. The U.S. Navy stripped several SH-3As of their ASW-equipment and used them for armed search-and-rescue missions in the Gulf of Tonkin and North Vietnam. This helicopter was assigned to helicopter anti-submarine squadron HS-2 Golden Falcons as part of Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 57 (CVSG-57) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CVS-12). However, the SAR-helicopters were often based on guided missile destroyers (then called "frigates"), which had small landing pads with less than one meter clearance to the superstructure. This SH-3A, BuNo 148985 (tail code NV-70), was lost at sea two weeks after this photograph was taken on 23 May 1967, with the loss of the crew of four.

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U.S. Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II aircraft of the New Jersey Air National Guard flying in close formation with a Royal Norwegian Air Force Northrop F-5A "Freedom Fighter" aircraft during exercise Coronet Rawhide on 1 Sept 82.

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A U.S. Air Force McDonnell F-101B Voodoo from the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 147th Fighter Interceptor Group, Texas Air National Guard takes off from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (USA), during exercise "William Tell '80".

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A U.S. Air Force McDonnell F-4C-16-MC Phantom II aircraft (s/n 63-7442) from the 171st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 191st Fighter Interceptor Group, Michigan Air National Guard, arrives at Tyndall Air Force Base to compete in the air-to-air weapons meet "William Tell '84". The exercise was held from 7 to 23 October 1984.

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An A-7E Corsair II aircraft lands on the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS CARL VINSON (CVN-70) at sunset. 1988

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A pair of specially painted F-117 Nighthawks fly off from their last refueling by the Ohio National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing.2008-03-15.

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At sea aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Jan. 17, 2002 – Squadron and ships company personnel conduct maintenance and equipment checks on the flight deck, while a F-14 “Tomcat” assigned to the "Diamondbacks" of Fighter Squadron One Zero Two (VF-102) launches from one of two steam catapults located on the ships bow. Theodore Roosevelt and her embarked Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) are conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
And Never Forget Those, Who Gave All!
USFG PHOTO
A Douglas AD-4 Skyraider of attack squadron VA-115 Arabs, Carrier Air Group 11 (CVG-11), bursts into flame as the engine breaks off upon landing aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) on 12 December 1950. The Skyraider had been hit by enemy flak over Korea.
Regards
Robbie
