[DeTomaso] Fw: Fwd: BERLIN EXPRESS

[Ken Green]

I know this is old news that someone forwarded to me, but I bet this guy would have enjoyed driving a Pantera:



 

The fighter pilot who flew through the Eiffel Tower in 1944 has died. 

In the spring of 1944 Bill Overstreet and his P-51C, the 'Berlin Express'were near Paris when the scene that is immortalized in theartwork by Len Krenzler of Action Art that leads this articletook place. Bill had followed a German Bf109 from thebombers he was escorting when most of the Germanfighters left. The two planes had been in a running dogfight.
The German pilot flew over Paris hoping that the heavy
German anti-aircraft artillery would solve his problem and 
eliminate Overstreet and the 'Berlin Express', though Bill 
managed to get some hits in at about 1500 feet.
The German's engine was hit, and Bill stayed on his tailbraving the intense enemy flak. His desperation undoubtedlygrowing, the German pilot aimed his plane at the Eiffel Towerand in a surprising maneuver, flew beneath it. Undeterred, Bill followed right behind him, scoring severalmore hits in the process. The German plane crashed andBill escaped the heavy flak around Paris by flying low andfull throttle over the river until he had cleared the city'sheavy anti-aircraft batteries.WWII fighter pilot who flew THROUGH the Eiffel Tower to take down aGerman plane dies in Virginia aged 92.  William Overstreet Jr., a former
captain in the U.S. Air Corps, passed away on Sunday at a hospital inRoanoke, Virginia.
He famously flew his plane beneath the Eiffel Tower in Nazi-occupiedParis in 1944, lifting the spirits of French troops on the ground.
In 2009, he was presented France's Legion of Honor. 
Hero: World War II 
Aviator Bill Overstreet Jr., best known for flying beneath the 
Eiffel Tower in pursuit of a German plane, is pictured in his 
military days. Before the ceremony, Overstreet had previously said that, if he lived long enoughto receive the Legion of Honor, he would be accepting it in memory of his fallenbrothers.  In particular, he wanted to pay tribute to a friend, Eddy Simpson, whodied fighting the Nazis on the ground so his comrades, including Overstreet,could escape.
After the award was pinned to his lapel, Overstreet said:'If I said, "Thank you," it wouldn't be enough,' before adding:'What more than "thank you" do you need?'
He was born in Clifton Forge, Virginia in 1921 and after Pearl Harbor, he 
enlisted in the Air Corps as a fighter pilot.
By February 1942, he was a private and sent to California for flight 
training; there, his instructors prepared him for the unexpected 
mid-flight by cutting the engine as he landed.
  
 Aircraft: Overstreet is pictured by his P-51 'Berlin Express', the plane he flew 
beneath the Eiffel Tower.  'He was always humble. Whenever the press interviewed him, he said,"I didn't do anything. We were a team".'RIP Bill Overstreet.
                        GOD BLESS AMERICA




   


  
-------------- next part --------------
   I know this is old news that someone forwarded to me, but I bet this
   guy would have enjoyed driving a Pantera:


   The fighter pilot who flew through the Eiffel Tower in 1944 has died.

   In the spring of 1944 Bill Overstreet and his P-51C, the 'Berlin
   Express'
   were near Paris when the scene that is immortalized in the
   artwork by Len Krenzler of Action Art that leads this article
   took place. Bill had followed a German Bf109 from the
   bombers he was escorting when most of the German
   fighters left. The two planes had been in a running dogfight.
   The German pilot flew over Paris hoping that the heavy
   German anti-aircraft artillery would solve his problem and
   eliminate Overstreet and the 'Berlin Express', though Bill
   managed to get some hits in at about 1500 feet.
   The German's engine was hit, and Bill stayed on his tail
   braving the intense enemy flak. His desperation undoubtedly
   growing, the German pilot aimed his plane at the Eiffel Tower
   and in a surprising maneuver, flew beneath it.

   Undeterred, Bill followed right behind him, scoring several
   more hits in the process. The German plane crashed and
   Bill escaped the heavy flak around Paris by flying low and
   full throttle over the river until he had cleared the city's
   heavy anti-aircraft batteries.
   cid:1.757669496 at web160605.mail.bf1.yahoo.com
   WWII fighter pilot who flew THROUGH the Eiffel Tower to take down a
   German plane dies in Virginia aged 92.  William Overstreet Jr., a
   former
   captain in the U.S. Air Corps, passed away on Sunday at a hospital in
   Roanoke, Virginia.
   He famously flew his plane beneath the Eiffel Tower in Nazi-occupied
   Paris in 1944, lifting the spirits of French troops on the ground.
   In 2009, he was presented France's Legion of Honor.

   cid:2.757669496 at web160605.mail.bf1.yahoo.com
   Hero: World War II
   Aviator Bill Overstreet Jr., best known for flying beneath the
   Eiffel Tower in pursuit of a German plane, is pictured in his
   military days.
   Before the ceremony, Overstreet had previously said that, if he lived
   long enough
   to receive the Legion of Honor, he would be accepting it in memory of
   his fallen
   brothers.  In particular, he wanted to pay tribute to a friend, Eddy
   Simpson, who
   died fighting the Nazis on the ground so his comrades, including
   Overstreet,
   could escape.
   After the award was pinned to his lapel, Overstreet said:
   'If I said, "Thank you," it wouldn't be enough,' before adding:
   'What more than "thank you" do you need?'
   He was born in Clifton Forge, Virginia in 1921 and after Pearl Harbor,
   he
   enlisted in the Air Corps as a fighter pilot.
   By February 1942, he was a private and sent to California for flight
   training; there, his instructors prepared him for the unexpected
   mid-flight by cutting the engine as he landed.



   cid:4.757669496 at web160605.mail.bf1.yahoo.com
   Aircraft: Overstreet is pictured by his P-51 'Berlin Express', the
   plane he flew
   beneath the Eiffel Tower.


   'He was always humble. Whenever the press interviewed him, he said,"I
   didn't do anything. We were a team".'

                            RIP Bill Overstreet.

                           GOD BLESS AMERICA