B-Man2
Well-Known Member
The SOS’s has concluded however, there was one final surprise in store that I did not see coming . Tonight in the bar at the Crown Plaza Hotel, I had the unexpected pleasure of having a couple of drinks with 99 year old
P-51D Mustang pilot Joe Peterburs. Joe had just finished up his celebrity visit at the SOS’s where he was taking photos and signing autographs and promoting his book “Memories of a Mustang Pilot” . I got to spend about an hour with Joe where it was like taking to a family relative. This is part of his story as he told it to me. Joe entered the army at the age of 17 years old and two years later at the age of 19 he’s a P-51D pilot flying top cover over a group of B-17s about to bomb Germany. At the completion of the bomb run, Joe saw an ME-262 on an attack run at one of the B-17s, so he dove at the jet and opened fire as the jet flew past him. He hit the jets left engine and it went down with the German pilot just barely bailing out of the aircraft before it hit the ground. Little did Joe realize it at the time but at 19 years old he had just shot down Walter Shuck a leading German Ace with 206 confirmed Kills. Joe never had a chance to celebrate that victory because later that day while strafing some ground targets Joe was shot down, bailed out and was taken prisoner. He was taken to Berlin to a POW camp, where he later escaped and met up with a Russian Tank unit at stayed with them for the next couple of months. I don’t want to relate any more details because you can read it in his book. He’s a great guy . At the end of the evening Joe willingly consented to sign my ELC Werber 1729. After which the hotel fire alarm went off, and we had to evacuate the premises
. So here’s Joe and my Jacket and a couple of links for you guys to get to know him. This was the highlight of my trip. It’s back home tomorrow.
P-51D Mustang pilot Joe Peterburs. Joe had just finished up his celebrity visit at the SOS’s where he was taking photos and signing autographs and promoting his book “Memories of a Mustang Pilot” . I got to spend about an hour with Joe where it was like taking to a family relative. This is part of his story as he told it to me. Joe entered the army at the age of 17 years old and two years later at the age of 19 he’s a P-51D pilot flying top cover over a group of B-17s about to bomb Germany. At the completion of the bomb run, Joe saw an ME-262 on an attack run at one of the B-17s, so he dove at the jet and opened fire as the jet flew past him. He hit the jets left engine and it went down with the German pilot just barely bailing out of the aircraft before it hit the ground. Little did Joe realize it at the time but at 19 years old he had just shot down Walter Shuck a leading German Ace with 206 confirmed Kills. Joe never had a chance to celebrate that victory because later that day while strafing some ground targets Joe was shot down, bailed out and was taken prisoner. He was taken to Berlin to a POW camp, where he later escaped and met up with a Russian Tank unit at stayed with them for the next couple of months. I don’t want to relate any more details because you can read it in his book. He’s a great guy . At the end of the evening Joe willingly consented to sign my ELC Werber 1729. After which the hotel fire alarm went off, and we had to evacuate the premises
. So here’s Joe and my Jacket and a couple of links for you guys to get to know him. This was the highlight of my trip. It’s back home tomorrow.World War II Memories of a Mustang Pilot - First Edition - Signed - Joe Peterburs - Bauman Rare Books
World War II Memories of a Mustang Pilot rare book for sale. This First Edition, Signed by Joe PETERBURS is available at Bauman Rare Books.
www.baumanrarebooks.com
