Warbird Information Exchange

I used to know a man who did nose art on bombers during WW2, in the Pacific. He was with a B-24 unit and used to do it either for free or for beer while a Marine on the island charged 50 bucks. The man I knew (can't remember his name though Rusty is ringing a bell) had a specialty of including a mirror in his compostion so that the boys could get a look at both sides of the nude figures. I traveled in a group to the Smithsonian and he brought photos of his work and the staff basically grabbed him up right there and interviewed him, copied and catalogued his work and found photos of his work that he didn't have.

His name was Rusty Restuccia, he actually had some art training before his service and was based at Angon Island. I think later he was on Okinawa.

Anyone else ever know a Nose Artist?

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"I can't understand it, I cut it twice and it's still too short!" Robert F. Dupre' 1923-2010 Go With God.

I didn't know him but his work seems to be among the best known:

http://www.usaaf-noseart.co.uk/starcer-tony.htm

http://www.91stbombgroup.com/nose_artists/starcer.html

And a snapshot of him repainting SSSB:

http://www.depot41.com/PartsInPlanes.htm

Thank goodness for his talent and the talent of all the other nose artists - what a legacy they've left.