PHOTO BY HUGELMEYER
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The Burma Banshees at Byrd Field Richmond Virginia
When you think of the legendary WWII 80th Fighter Group—the famous “Burma Banshees”—you usually picture P-40 Warhawks slicing through the muggy, dangerous skies over India and Burma. But every legendary unit has a origin story, and for the Banshees, it started with a...
90th Fighter Squadron, The Burma Banshees Bridge Busting
October 1944: Lieutenant Ellis Fisher and the Bridges of Northern Burma While the 89th Fighter Squadron was grinding through October at Myitkyina, the 90th Fighter Squadron was conducting its own relentless war from Tingkawk Sakan. For the 90th, October 1944 would...
From Burma Banshee to Nashville Legend: The Remarkable Second Life of E.R. “Dutch” McMillin
One of the greatest rewards of researching the Burma Banshees has been discovering what these remarkable men accomplished after World War II. Many returned home to become business leaders, engineers, teachers, and community leaders. Every now and then, however, I...
New Book Alert -> Flying Brothers: From Dogfights to Diplomacy in Cold War Southeast Asia
Celebrating a New Book from Our Friend Daniel Jackson Flying Brothers Every once in a while, a book comes along that shines a light on a chapter of aviation history that deserves far more attention. I'm excited to congratulate our friend Daniel Jackson on the upcoming...
Before Burma: The 89th Trains at Mitchell Field
Long before the 89th Fighter Squadron ever saw the Assam Valley, the men who would become the Burma Banshees were learning their trade on home soil — at Mitchell Field, New York. The footage below captures a piece of that training: pilots working on wing shooting,...
A Day Over the Assam Valley: October 17, 1943
The bridges could wait one day. For weeks the 89th Fighter Squadron had been going after the spans across Burma — the rail lines, the river crossings, the choke points that kept the Japanese army fed and moving. But war in the China-Burma-India theater wasn't only...
Faces From Mitchel Field: Portraits and Stories 1917-1961 Forgotten Eagles (Beneath the Shadows of Wings)
💥 Attention Burma Banshees & 80th Fighter Group Fans! For WWII aviation fans—and specifically followers of the legendary Burma Banshees (80th Fighter Group)—this book is an absolute treasure. Before flying dangerous missions in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater,...
A Day in the Life of a Burma Banshee
October 26, 1943. Operations Order Number 40. Fifty-two pilots. Ten missions. Takeoffs beginning at 0910 and running through 1435 in the afternoon. The day started with Captain S. Combs (89th) leading Mission F-230 off the strip at 0910 — eight aircraft in the Bomb...
My Most Memorable Flight – December 13, 1943
Daybreak on the 13th of December 1943 was crisp and cool, and no clouds in the sky, but a high level haze cut the visibility down…
Enter the Dragons – December 1, 1943 Burma Banshees
November would find the JAAF doubling it’s fighter presence in the area to over 50 fighters. On December 1, 1943 the combined Japanese…
So came the baptism of fire…morale among everyone from the lowliest private to Col. McElroy jumps from nothing to everything.
Warren Breed and Charles L. Williams 88th FS December 1943
Col. Sydney D. Grubbs (Rosie) entered the service during World War II. By 1941, he was one of the youngest generals in any of the U.S. branches of service. He served as the secretary/organizer of 32 months in the China-Burma-India theaters of operations with the 10th and 14th Air Forces. He was a decorated command fighter pilot, having flown 85 missions in WWII.
In honor of all the WW II war heroes
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