Crashed Five Corsairs At End Of WWII

His buddies called him "Crash" -- the funny ex-Navy pilot who earned his nickname by crashing five F4U Corsair fighter planes on landing during training missions at the end of World War II.

"The joke was, Crash got rid of more of our planes than the whole Japanese air force," says Gene "Bomber" Koscinski. "He was their ace."

Fred "Crash" Blechman, who died November 14 at the age of 80 in his West Hills home, laughed at his nickname. He considered it a backhanded compliment, reports the Los Angeles Daily News.

Shortly before his death, Blechman refused surgery to repair an aneurysm doctors said could take his life at any time. He thanked them, but instead of treatment returned to the home he shared with his wife, Ev, who died six months earlier.

"Two nights later, he was gone," said Lee Auger, who drove Crash around town. "Crash thought driving was too dangerous," Auger said. "He had 26 aircraft carrier landings before he ever had a driver's license."

Early Monday morning, over 70 members of the "Wings Over Wendy's" group gathered at their favorite fast-food restaurant, to eulogize the man who brought them all together eight years ago.

All are pilots, bombardiers, aircraft engineers and mechanics from World War II and the Korean War, living in the Valley, who didn't know each other until Crash invited them over to Wendy's to share a 99-cent burger lunch, and their stories.

"These men were part of America's greatest generation," manager Ron Ross said Friday. "It's an honor to have them in my restaurant. I'm going to miss Crash. He was the glue."

If you were a flyboy or crew you were welcome, you were in at Wings over Wendy's -- even if you fought for the other side. The only stipulation for members is that they show up early -- so the large group doesn't take seats away from the restaurant's lunch crowd.

Mike Karatsonyi of Studio City, who died last year, told the guys he flew Messerschmitt Me-109's during the war for the Germans. The guys told him to grab a cup of coffee and sit down.

"When his native Hungary was taken over by Hitler, Mike was given two choices: fly for the Luftwaffe or go to a concentration camp," Auger said. "He defended his country, did what he had to do. We all respected that."

Crash told his friends he didn't want a lavish funeral. All he wanted were for his ashes to be scattered over the hills near Santa Paula Airport (KSZP) where his buddy Mickey Epstein's ashes were scattered a few years ago.

Epstein was a flight engineer in B-24 Liberator bombers during World War II and started Wings Over Wendy's with Crash. He's credited with coming up with the "Crash" nickname.

FMI: www.militarymuseum.org/MCASSantaBarbara.html, www.amszp.org/