BTW they promised my dad pilot training at 25 missions, upgrading from navigator. He wanted to get some in the P-51s. One mission more and he was to rotate then they upped the count to 30. By the time he got to flight training, the war in Europe was over and they didn't need the pilots. Back to navigator.
Your Dad’s service as a navigator 24+ times was instrumental in winning the War so quickly. Be forever proud that he wanted so desperately to take the fight to the enemy even more directly. Thank Him. Thank You. God Bless!
I didn’t have any relatives in the Air Corp during the war. I had a few on the ground. One uncle was an AA gunner with the Third Army and one day there was a German plane coming into to strafe the area he was in. It was a low ceiling and the fighter swooped down to start his run.
My uncle said he cut loose with his AA gun and was hammering away and got a smoke trail coming out of the kraut fighter and thought he was going to get a kill and about that time two P-38’s roared through the ceiling and shredded the German fighter. I guess he got partial credit for the kill lol!