September 2014 - Shot Down in WW2

I have to admit ... Paul related the story to me about ten years ago. I've written it down and sent it to his family. Paul is no longer with us but WOULD HAVE BEEN 90 this past summer. I knew that this FOTM feature was coming.
I chose a plane from my hangar that was "close to the look" of Paul's P-47. (pict1) Starting off from Naples I flew at low-level past Rome up to Grossetto. (pict2) (pict3) I never knew how many hills there were along this route. (pict4) (pict5)(I may have done better to stay along the beach?) (pict6)

(pict7)

After lunch at the base I was off the repeat Paul's last flight. I departed to the southwest and then made a steep climbing turn up to FL120. (pict8) (pict9) The flight to the cross-roads is about 100 miles. I found an intersection just off of the main highway and figured that was as good an area to hit as any. (pict10) As told, I rolled over and dove. (pict11) The ground comes up fast at nearly 300 knots! After keeping the target in sight for 12 seconds I pulled up (lower than Paul had recounted) and cut the engines. (pict12) (pict13)

The P-51 isn't terrible at gliding, not as bad as the P-47 anyway. She gave me plenty of time to call the controller and roll in some trim before bailing out. (pict14)

In Paul's story he rolled in some trim and bailed out letting the plane crash where it may. For this FOTM I stayed with the aircarft all the way until the crash in relatively open ground. (pict15)

I was thinking of the line from this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJQ6Ug2f7t8
"What do you do when the gas is gone and you're flying the Thunderbolt?"
"You hit the silk and you say a prayer and you land with an aweful jolt."
"You drop in the jungle and wrench your back, you're thinking of giving up..."
"Yet, what do you mumble crawling back, you Hup two three four, you hup!"

It has been my honor to meet and hear so many stories from, "The Greatest Generation."