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The Experts...........

Fri Aug 31, 2007 4:13 pm

Image
Top guns of the 5th FC 1944
L/C Wally Jordan, L/C Jed Johnson & Major Dick Bong
Last edited by Jack Cook on Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:50 pm

I think it was a real shame that after all those kills, Bong dies in an accident. How F'd up is that?

???

Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:00 pm

Something interesting about Bong, not to take anything away from him, but he wasn't a leader he was a gunner. All that experience and rank yet he never commanded anything. Blev Lewelling of the 9th was a close friend and flew with him a lot in the 9th throughout New Guinea, Rabaul and the Philippines. Blev said he was a OK pilot, a great gunner but not a leader at all. Rex Barber said the same about the pilot part. He said the crash was due to Bong's inexperience with the a/c and the lack of using a check list has he forgot to turn on his fuel boost pump and flamed out.

Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:03 pm

I even read at the museum that he was not a leader but had great gunnery skills as well. He must have done it half right to kill all those though :)

Sometimes you have to have sharp knife like Bong and leaders like Pappy to balance things out.

Not every one can lead, other wise, who would be the follower? :)

Great pics Jack!

Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:02 pm

Paul Krumrei wrote:I think it was a real shame that after all those kills, Bong dies in an accident. How F'd up is that?

It's an interesting statistic to rack up the number of ace pilots were were killed in air crashes. (Off the top of my head, Heinz Bar was killed in the 'ultra-safe' Zuankonig light aircraft, Bluey Truscott (RAAF) was killed in a mock attack, and Bong as discussed.) There's an element that after combat death, an air crash is the next most likely cause of death for fighter pilots, as in the nature of the job, yet I wonder how much 'fighter pilot' attitudes are a factor in subsequent losses.

Part of the problem in perception is putting fighter pilots on a pedestal, seeing them as exceptional achievers (which, in many cases they were) and then assuming that included complimentary skills. A good fighter pilot needs some particular skills, but history shows being a rounded airman or a 'nice person' or anything else wasn't a requisite.

Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:03 pm

Jack... or anyone... can you tell me more about the other two pilots in the picture? Thanks :)

???

Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:13 pm

Jordan was an ace with 6 kills and Jed Johnson had 22 kills. Both flew P-39s in the Aleutins with the 54th FS in 1942. Also both commanded the 9th FS and Johnson also commanded the 49th FG. Johnson was killed in a B-25 crash off Japan post war while Jordan retired from the AF has a Col. My best friend wrote Johnson bio "Jungle Ace" available at http://www.amazon.com/Jungle-Ace-Johnson-Fighter-Pacific/dp/1574883577. Although people who didn't know him refer to him has Jerry he never went by that. He was Gerald or Jed to his friends. Some alkso thought of him having a huge ego because of the name "Jerry" on one of his 38s (which is why many unknowingly refer to him has Jerry). His infant son is Jerry has the a/c was named for him.
Last edited by Jack Cook on Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:45 pm

Thank you kindly Jack :)
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