475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation

07/28/2021

07/05/2021

The Amazing Recovery & Restoration Of The P-38 Glacier Girl

The Amazing Recovery & Restoration Of The P-38 Glacier Girl https://www.warhistoryonline.com/military-vehicle-news/the-amazing-recovery-restoration-of-the-p-38-glacier-girl.html?fbclid=IwAR2aBzK8lH8oAObcI-phi2fG5t2vYsG-61zFZPUBUr2U7-QHlAt2mKGZHSs

On 15 July 1942, poor weather and limited visibility forced six P-38 fighters and two B-17 bombers to return to Greenland while they were en route to the

06/19/2021

Wow!

Wow!

06/08/2021

Taggart, Sprowls & Biermann family on June 5th for P-38 flight demonstration.

05/31/2021

A memorial is defined as “something, especially a structure, established to remind people of a person or event”. Today is Memorial Day, a day the United States set aside for us to remember the men and women who died during the wars and conflicts in our past and present. It is especially poignant to those of us connected to someone who has served our country in time of war or conflict and sacrificed their life and freedoms to protect ours.
The 475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation has a “structure” to honor those who served in the group in World War II. In fact, there are three “structures” currently housing the memorabilia and history of the 475th Fighter Group, The Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, CA, The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Honolulu, HI, and the Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA. These are all very worth traveling to and seeing first-hand, through seeing & hearing a P-38, pictures, memorabilia, and videos, what these men accomplished during their time in the Pacific.
Another type of memorial are the memories we each have of our loved ones who served and the stories they told of their adventures, and at times, misadventures. I am sure most of us who met one (or more) of the brave men of the 475th have pictures, stories, and/or scrapbooks of these events. Through the stories told and pictures saved we all get to know these amazing men. This memorial we carry with us in our hearts and hopefully it enriches our life by remembering their courage, strength, and bravery.
Today, please take time to remember a favorite story, event and or time in the life of members of the 475th who are no longer with us. Take a look at pictures in your album or on the website and give thanks for those who bravely risked everything in service of their country.

We will remember.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the 475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation!

05/24/2021

Webinar: A Conversation With P-38 Lightning Ace, PJ Dahl

A Conversation With P-38 Lightning Ace, PJ Dahl and Brad Ball https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW0RSEYbTmI with Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum #WWII #Ace #pilot

Lightning ace PJ Dahl survived being shot up, emergency landings, a runway crash, a midair, a bailout, and two days in a life raft during World War II. Hear ...

05/18/2021

Home Version 2: Feb 7, 2019

Friday May 21st at 9am HST Webinar: A conversation with PJ Dahl, Moderator Brad Ball will discuss the 475th Fighter Squadron with legendary Ace Pilot Colonel PJ Dahl https://475th.org/ #475th #P38

Donate Today! Stay In Touch Visit the 475th! 475th Historical Foundation Museum The 475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation museum is located at the Planes of Fame Air Museum at the Chino Airport in Chino, California. The stories and memorabilia of this highly decorated group,

04/17/2021

Were open, come out and check out the 475th hangar!

Were open, come out and check out the 475th hangar!

04/05/2021

Home Version 2: Feb 7, 2019

Here's a list of 475th Veterans listed on the fallen heroes page for our website https://475th.org/ , which we have no information (photos or bios). Please let us know if any of our followers has some information
First Lieutenant Ferdinand Hanson, 1916-2003
John A Cohn, 2014, 431st Sqd
Richard A. Walkup 431st and worked as a crew chief for Tom Oxford
Allen Wilson, December 20, 2013, 432nd Sqd.
Arthur Goodwin, November 5, 2013, 432nd Sqd
Roy Roper, August 30, 2013. 431st Sqd.
Art McLean, July 2013, 432nd Sqd.
Don Weimer, July 2013, 433rd Sqd.
Francis “Bud” Lampert, May 18, 2013, 431st Sqd.
Joe Forster, April 18, 2013
Norman R. Dunlap, March 22, 2013. 475th Sqd.
Jim Shelton, January 9, 2013
Norman Willey, November 6, 2012
Jerry Gettler, September 23, 2012
Charlie Campbell, June 5, 2012
Jack “Fox” Olson, April, 2012
Amador Amescua, February 17, 2013, age 92. 433rd Sqd.
Allen (Red) Wilson, December 20, 2012
Warren J. Cortner, December 17, 2012
Coy Wiley, May 16, 2012
Robert Herman & Stanley Swertinski, January 2012
Tom “Ox” Oxford, December, 2011

Donate Today! Stay In Touch Visit the 475th! 475th Historical Foundation Museum The 475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation museum is located at the Planes of Fame Air Museum at the Chino Airport in Chino, California. The stories and memorabilia of this highly decorated group,

03/18/2021

Backers fight to save Marines' Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum ahead of April 1 closure

Backers fight to save Marines’ Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum ahead of April 1 closure
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/military/story/2021-03-18/flying-leatherneck-aviation-museum-closure?fbclid=IwAR1lYNoEPxE4PDfXeDK2EZJ2uqjZ46_CeIYGFy9GNwwdf5Wvi5p8Y6ghri4#null

Two decades of base budget cuts have left no choice but to shutter the museum, Marines say

03/10/2021

Hanks and Spielberg 'Masters of the Air' to Start Filming

Hanks and Spielberg ‘Masters of the Air’ to Start Filming
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/news/mini-series.html

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, who teamed up to bring the much-acclaimed Band of Brothers to life in 2001, are teaming up again to bring another

01/29/2021

Home Page | Planes of Fame Air Museum

https://planesoffame.org/
Planes of Fame Air Museum Reopens
Looking to get outside and view some of the world's most famous and notable aircraft? Then plan a visit to the "Outdoor Experience" at Planes of Fame Air Museum at the Chino Airport.
With the promise of sunny skies, the "Outdoor Experience" kicks off this Saturday, January 30, 2021. Guests can walk through most of the 10 acre outside areas of the Museum and view the aircraft from just inside the hangar doors. Museum Guides (wearing masks and maintaining social distancing) will be available to tell stories about the aircraft collection.
The "Outdoor Experience" will run from Thursdays thru Sundays. Hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm.
The Gift Shop will also be open during these days and times. And the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" will be open on Saturdays and Sundays for guests to visit upclose and learn about the role this aircraft played in World War II.
All guests must wear a face-covering and maintain six-feet social distance from others not in their immediate household. We're opening most of the doors of the Museum to minimize touch points and sanitizer is available in the rest rooms and Gift Shop.

Every day at Planes of Fame Air Museum, you can experience history - both the reliving of it and the making of it. When one of our planes flies, for most it is a rare and wonderful thing to witness. Planes of Fame Air Museum has maintained a fleet of flyable historic aircraft for over 60 years! The....

01/26/2021

Living History P-38 Planes of Fame Chino 2019

Living History P-38 Planes of Fame Chino 2019

01/26/2021

Pacific Wrecks - P-38H-5-LO Lightning Serial Number 42-66833

It is with great sadness that I am writing to you today to let you know that the 475th family has lost another beloved member. Thomas Simms, aged 97, passed from this earth on January 4, 2021 in Long Beach, CA.

As his son Lance wrote, “Thomas Simms has bailed out for the last time, 77 years after being shot down in New Guinea. What a full life he had, especially compared to his fellow 475th members who never returned from the war. 2 wives, 3 children , 6 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. He had the "biggest grin" in High School and a sense of humor that never quit. He will be missed.”

Tom was with the 432nd Squadron and we were fortunate that he was able to attend the 2014 reunion in Chino.

He will be missed but will always be in our hearts.
https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/p-38/42-66833.html

World War II Allied and Japanese aircraft that served in the Pacific War.

01/10/2021

431 FS P-38H 42-66826, Bensbach near the Papuan border with Irian Jaya (c.1980s) thank you Mark Clayton for sending these #P38 #WWII

https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/p-38/42-66826.html

12/12/2020

What Made the Lockheed P-38 Lightning So Special?

What Made the Lockheed P-38 Lightning So Special? https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2015/07/27/the-lockheed-p-38-lightning/?fbclid=IwAR0ce2bqukc3mplmm09qU08BeKYiZ-NXbxAHMrjM8CDrLcUpsujkFquODpY #P38

The twin-engine design of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and its high fuel capacity made it an ideal fighter and recon plane.

12/06/2020

Army veteran and D-Day hero Sgt. Maj. Robert Blatnik dead at 100

Thank you for your service

An Army veteran from Texas who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day with 900 men under his command has died at the age of 100.

11/26/2020

Happy Thanksgiving!
On October 3, 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation designating November 26 of that year as a national day of thanksgiving to recognize the role of providence in creating the new United States and the new federal Constitution. ...On October 3, 1863, expressing gratitude for a pivotal Union Army victory at Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln announces that the nation will celebrate an official Thanksgiving holiday on November 26, 1863.

11/11/2020

Thank you for your service Grandpa Vince, you are missed everyday!
Born in Pomona, California on 11 September 1916, Vincent Thomas Elliott joined the Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet in 1942. Graduating with Class 43-D at Williams Field, Arizona on 12 April 1943, he was assigned to the 329th Fighter Group at Glendale, California for P-38 training. On 10 July he was transferred to the 475th Fighter Group, then being formed at Ipswich, Australia.
Flying with the 431st Fighter Squadron out of Dobodura, New Guinea, Lieutenant Elliott scored his first aerial victory on 13 September 1943, downing a Zeke near Wewak. He destroyed a Val over Oro Bay on 15 October and two days later was credited with a Zeke shot down near Buna Bay. He became an ace on 23 October when he downed a Zeke and a Hamp in an attack on Rabaul. He completed his scoring on 26 December with another double, a Zeke and an Oscar shot down over Cape Gloucester, New Britain while covering the first Allied invasion of that area.
After logging 118 combat missions, Elliott returned to the States. He separated from the service following the war and went to work for Warner Bros in film editing and died in Burbank, California on 19 April 1986
Tally Record:
7 Confirmed
1 Damaged
Decorations:
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters

11/06/2020

Dale Burgess Obituary (1922 - 2020) - Ann Arbor News

https://legcy.co/3l077GW #475th #P38

Good morning all,
It is with great sadness that I am writing to you today to let you know that the 475th family has lost another beloved member. As his daughter Bonnie wrote, “On the evening of 10/31/2020 Dale E Burgess, age 98, passed peacefully, with family at his side, to again be with his wife, Betty, and his brothers of the 475th.”

Dale has left us a legacy of serving his country in its hour of need, raising a wonderful family with his wife Betty, volunteering for the Red Cross for 37 years, his easy smile and quiet but wonderful sense of humor. He will be missed but will always be in our hearts.
posted by Craig Taggart

View Dale Burgess's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

10/24/2020

The Lafayette Escadrille

The Lafayette Escadrille https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvIEDVIW4AU posted by Craig Taggart

Help us complete the feature-length version of the film! Make a tax-deductible contribution at www.thelafayetteescadrille.org. A short form documentary of th...

10/02/2020

Warbird Photos Aviation Photography by Britt Dietz

Flying top cover on Lyon Air Museum's B-17G Flying Fortress 'Fuddy Duddy', Planes of Fame Air Museum's P-51D Mustang 'Wee Willy II' escorts the majestic heavy bomber across Chino Airport during a pass at the 2014 Airshow.
#aviation #aviationphotography #avgeek #airtoair #air2air #ww2 #worldwar2 #planesoffame #airshow #warbird #canon #photography #canon_photos #history
© Britt Dietz - http://www.warbird-photos.com
Instagram: @warbirdphotos
Warbird Photos Aviation Photography by Britt Dietz

09/19/2020

US Air Force 73rd Birthday Tribute!

Happy Birthday U.S Air Force https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK4t_oyyqLg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2jRn8evmdkuqXPPDlQjcdTTa7r3-BxANREbzm81EXE4mcOg0ReoQGvdII

Do you like it? Like & Subscribe for more! ************************************ Paypal donation: https://www.paypal.me/Dmksprod instagram: https://www.instag...

09/17/2020

L-L-Lightnings! Three Lockheed P-38 Lightnings make a pass over Chino Airport in 2018 during Day 2 of the Planes of Fame Air Museum Airshow. L to R... Allied Fighters P-38L Lightning 'Honey Bunny', P-38L 'Thoughts of Midnite', and Planes of Fame's P-38J '23 Skidoo'.
#aviation #aviationphotography #avgeek #airtoair #air2air #ww2 #worldwar2 #p38lightning #lockheed #planesoffame #airshow #warbird #canon #photography #canon_photos #history

09/11/2020

Donate to the 475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation

Donate to the 475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation
Good afternoon,
I recently set up this part of our website that will allow us to accept donations through Paypal. Not urgent just letting you know this isavailable now
https://475th.org/donate

Click the yellow donate button to make a secure donation with the credit card of your choice: -OR- Tax deductible donations can also be sent to: 475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation C/O Chris Madison 969 Colorado Blvd., Suite 206 Los Angeles, CA 90041 (Checks should be made payable to "475th Fi...

09/02/2020

09/02/2020

B-25 Mitchel "Old Glory" Over Hawaii

75th Commemoration of the End of WWII: Warbirds fly to Honor B-25 Mitchel "Old Glory" Over Hawaii https://youtu.be/oOmyx8QaGtc

Click to subscribe! http://bit.ly/subAIRBOYD The Hanger at 743 http://hangar743.com/the-museum/ B-25 History https://b-25history.org/aircraft/4428938.htm A g...

08/11/2020

I guess some of us knew it was coming, but even the best planning never prepares you for the loss of a loved one, and we all loved Dale Thisted who left us early this week.



Dale will never be forgotten by the 475th and its members, he was instrumental in the formation and continuation of the 475th and has certainly left his footprint behind for us to follow. As you all know we have launched a new project in an effort to find and identify second and third generation family members and Dale was involved and influential in our effort. Dale also had a terrific sense of humor and if you want to see that humor just log into our website (475th.org) and see Dale and PJ signing By New Guinea Waterfall at the last reunion.



Some men are known for their successes, other for their heart, but few are known for their ability to accomplish great feats and their willingness to go out of their way on behalf of other people. Dale was just that man and he will be sorely missed by his family, his friends and everyone associated with the 475th Historical Foundation.



Chris Madison and Brad Ball

08/01/2020

Dear Friends of PJ and Bobbie –

It comes with great sadness to share the news that early this morning, Bobbie Louise Dahl passed away peacefully in her sleep. PJ’s beloved wife and constant companion of 74 years, was struggling recently with heart issues. Nearly all of her 93 years were spent with PJ. Even as her health issues continued, PJ was always by her side.. You could say these two married their perfect match.

Given the challenges of the pandemic, PJ and daughter Jody and son Jeff are planning an intimate, family memorial. Because many of you may want to reach out and send flowers or a donation, we will provide more information in the days ahead, per the family’s wishes. God bless Bobbie “Louise” and to you PJ , your children and grandchildren – we send the power of our thoughts, prayers and hugs!

Sincerely –

Chris Madison & Brad Ball Craig Taggart and the entire 475th family.

07/24/2020

Thank you to Greg Waskul & The Bob Hope Legacy Foundation

07/23/2020

07/12/2020

Home - American Fighter Aces

https://www.americanfighteraces.org/ A New Film - The American Fighter Aces Story

Sep42019 Join us in San Antonio for the American Fighter Aces Association 2019 Reunion News Attention Aces, Friends of the Aces and supporters! We invite you to join us October 3-6, 2019 for our annual reunion. Once again we will convene to honor our American… Read more