P-51s And Their Crews Honored In Ohio

by ANN Correspondent Scott Wagner

Amazing weather and an enthusiastic crowd greeted "The Gathering of Mustangs and Legends," held over the weekend at Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, OH.

This year's rendition of GOML yielded an official count of 75 P-51's, and dozens of pilots, ground crew members, mechanics, Women Airforce Service Pilots and others involved with the Mustang over the years. At press time, official attendance numbers were still unavailable, but estimates from the announcers stand suggested the possibility that there could have been as many as 100,000 attendees, and license plates in the parking lots confirmed visitors from across the country.

The Legends participated in numerous autograph sessions, and the media were treated to exclusive panel discussions, where pilots regaled those in attendance with tales from their days flying the Mustang. ANN sat in on one of these panels, and will be reporting on it in the days to come.

Originally known as Lockbourne Army Air Base, the airfield was built during World War II as a training base for B-17s and assault gliders. After the war, the famed Tuskegee Airmen took up residence at the base until 1949, when they were reassigned, the base was deactivated, and control of the airfield was transferred to the Ohio Air National Guard. The base was reactivated during the Korean War, and remained active throughout the Vietnam War. In 1974, the base was renamed Rickenbacker Air Force Base, in honor of WWI ace and Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker. In 1980, the base was returned to the Ohio Air National Guard, and remains an active base for Air National Guard, Army National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve and Navy/Marine Reserve units. The airport area has also been redeveloped into a major logistics hub, with UPS, FedEx and other freight haulers operating out of the airport, along with numerous trucking warehouses surrounding it.

GOML offered a rare opportunity to speak with the brave pilots who flew the Mustang in combat almost 65 years ago. These men, who were barely out of high school at the time, were handed the keys to the most technologically advanced vehicles of their day. They were given a tough assignment…to go out and save the world. They did just that, and they did it with skill and honor that is unrivaled. Sadly, the WWII generation is leaving us at an astonishing pace, and we don't have much time left to absorb the history these men and woman can teach us.

Joe Peterburs was 19 when he was assigned to the 55th Fighter Squadron, flying P-51's from Kings Cliff, England. He flew 49 combat missions, and amassed 267 hours of combat flying. He is credited with five aircraft destroyed on the ground, and damaging a FW-190 in combat. He also has the distinction of shooting down a Me-262 piloted by Walter Shuck, one of Germany's top aces.

He retired in 1979 as a Colonel, with 36 years of military service and over 4000 hours of flight time. His decorations include The Legion of Merit, The Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster (OLC), the Bronze Star with one OLC, The Purple Heart with one OLC, the Air Medal with seven OLCs, the POW Medal and 32 other medals and decorations.

When asked about the celebration of his service and the Mustang, Colonel Peterburs replied "Of course, it's awesome. We're in the winter of our lives. Something like this needed to be done so folks can hear the stories from the horse's mouth. It's much more interesting to hear the stories in person rather than in writing or on television."

Fast Forward 65 years to a current Air Force pilot. Major Mike Baker has been flying the enormous C-5 Galaxy for the 445th Airlift Wing, based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio for two years, and flew C-141's prior to that. He's logged time in the famed "Hanoi Taxi," which was retired from his unit in May 2006, and now resides at the National Museum of the Air Force, also in Dayton.

"It's awesome. I look around and see the people who paved the way for us in aviation and in military history. It's truly an honor to be here representing the Air Force. To see the sacrifice they, and those who aren't here anymore, made. It's humbling. This show is also a great way to show people the great capability of the Department of Defense, by presenting a multi-service, and multi-generational demonstration of America's capabilities.

In the air, the show featured a mix of civilian and military flying. Featured acts included the Red Baron Pizza Squadron, the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, Michael Goulian, and Patty Wagstaff. In addition to her normal routine in the Extra 300S, Wagstaff also flew a P-51 in tribute to the WASPs.

On the louder side, the USAF brought an F-15, an F-16, and the always amazing F-22 Raptor. Each participated in a "Heritage Flight" with one to three Mustangs, always allowing the senior airframe to take the lead. The Thunderbirds rounded out the kerosene-burning portion of the show. A number of formation flights were also staged. A collection of rarities took to the skies, and treated the history buffs among us to the sight of a P-40 Warhawk, a P-47 Thunderbolt, a P-38 Lightening, and one of the rarest of all sightings, the Bell P-63 King Cobra all flying together. Another formation featured B-17's, B-25's and a Lancaster being escorted in the skies of Columbus by their "Little Friends", as they were so aptly named by crews in the skies over war-time Europe.

Following the airshow, nearly two dozen Mustangs launched for a formation flight. Standing on the flightline and listening to those 12 cylinder Merlins come to life, you could imagine what it must have been like watching wave after wave of fighters launching for an escort mission from England in 1944. The sound of the engines running in harmony was a warbird and history buff's dream, as they disappeared into the distance to form up for two passes over the show. When they retuned, they had formed the shape of a giant "51" that flew across the field, directly over show center.

Shortly thereafter, a four-ship formation flew overhead, performing the familiar "Missing Man" formation. As the "Missing Man" headed west, one could only reflect on the thousands of brave airmen who never made it back, and those who remain missing to this day. The 2007 Gathering of Mustangs and Legends was a fitting tribute to these men, and the airplane that helped assure victory for the Allies. The men will be gone soon, but their stories and their machinery will live on forever.

FMI: www.gml2007.com/