(I know of a WW2 vet, just turned 100, April 3. He flew P47 then a P51 in the pacific theatre. He was there thru the end, flew over Hiroshima after the bomb. He’s in Minnesota. Born in North Dakota, family of farmers. You could interview him thru his daughter, his hearing is bad—mind is sharp tho! Interested?) to help me ask questions, thanks, Ron]
First LT. Kermit BJORLIE (Army Air Corps) joined after grad. North Dakota State.
IN LAST YEAR OF WAR GOT TO New Guinea in early1945, saw a brother pilot go down in the ocean shooting at boats. Island hopped up to Okinawa, where there was lots of action, then hopped over to the Phillipines after MacArhur's invasion force. From there, they switched to P-51's which he did not like as well. Flew over Nagasaki and Hiroshima seeing ships turned over in the bay, and only two buildings left standing. He remained as occupying force in Japan for 3 months, then shipped home.
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II era fighter aircraft produced by the United States from 1941 through 1945. Its primary armament was eight .50-caliber machine guns and in the fighter-bomber ground-attack role it could carry five-inch rockets or a bomb load of 2,500 pounds
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts.
