B32c 50th Anniversary B 17 Signed 3 USA Pilots Le May. F Gailer. W E Hardy. 4 Oct 83 Washington DC Boeing B17 50th ...

B32c 50th Anniversary B 17 Signed 3 USA Pilots Le May. F Gailer. W E Hardy. 4 Oct 83 Washington DC Boeing B17 50th Anniversary. Flown in Flying Fortress B17 Sally B. Personally signed General Curtis Emerson Le May United States Air Force. He is credited with designing and implementing an effective. but also controversial. systematic strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific theatre of WW11. During the war. he was known for planning and executing a massive bombing campaign against cities in Japan and a crippling minelaying campaign in Japan's internal waterways. After the war. he unintentionally initiated the Berlin Airlift. then reorganized the Strategic Air Command (SAC) into an effective instrument of nuclear war. He served as Chief of Staff of the U. S. Air Force from 1961 until his retirement in 1965. and by Air Commodore R Dick B17 Flying Fortress Pilot who flew the covers. Brigadier General Frank L Gailer Jr USAF. He then entered the aviation cadet program and received pilot training at Parks Air College. Garden City. Kan. and Eagle Pass. Texas. where he earned his pilot wings and commission as second lieutenant. In September 1943 General Gailer was assigned to Columbia Army Air Base. S. C. for tactical training in the B-25 aircraft and in February 1944 was transferred to P-40 training at Thomasville. Ga. In July 1944 he joined the 357th Fighter Group in England as a P-51 pilot. Flying with the 363rd Fighter Squadron. he was credited with destroying 6 1/2 enemy aircraft before he was shot down in November 1944 and interned by the Germans as a prisoner of war in Stalag One. General Gailer returned to the United States in 1945; and until June 1946. he served as base flight operations officer at Selfridge Field. Mich. He went to the Panama Canal Zone as a squadron commander in the 6th Fighter Wing. From February 1949 until June 1954. he served as group operations officer and then deputy commander of the 6570th Chemical and Ordnance Test Group. Aberdeen Proving Ground. Md. also Signed by Cdr W E Hardy VF - 17 Uss Hornet F6F Hellcats 7 Victories. Details enclosed and Black and white photo of General Curtis Emerson Le May United States Air Force Very few issued with additional Signatures. Single Vendor RAF cover collection. . Good condition Est.