This video tells the story of Medal of Honor recipient Col. Neel
Kearby and the 348th Fighter Group in World War II. Kearby was "The
personification of the perfect combat leader," said Gen. George
Kenney, Commander of Allied Air Forces and the 5th Air Force. "He was
short and slight, but in the air he was a giant among fighter pilots."
Under Kearby's command, the 348th became one of the most effective
fighter groups in the Southwest Pacific. Museum docent and former
flight surgeon Col. Dave Schall (USAF-ret.) tells how Kearby became
the first P-47 Thunderbolt ace in the Pacific theater, and how he set
a U.S. Army Air Forces record for most victories in a single mission.
Schall also tells how Kearby trained his P-47 pilots to win fights at
low altitudes, even though the plane had been designed to fight at
high altitudes. Following the presentation, you'll see the Museum's
big, fast, tough P-47 taxi out, take off, and fly several low passes
at the Colorado Springs Airport.
3 окт 2023
