Went camping with my family and, was surprised to find this history in the middle of nowhere:aok
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Late in the afternoon of November 14, 1944, Army First Lieutenant
Dean R. Gilmore took off frome the Bartow Army Airfield with a
flight of five P-51 Mustangs. As flight instructor , he was leading
the group on a low-altitude training exercise. His plane crashed
into the lake, killing him instantly. It was his twenty-third birthday.
Wreckage from the plane was discovered in June, 2001, when the
lake level was low. Through markings on the plane, military records, and local witnesses it was confirmed that the aircraft
was Lt. Glimore`s.
Amember of the 111th Reconnaissance Squadron, Lt. Gilmore was
a verteran of ninety-one World War II missions in Africa, Sicily, and
Italy. On March 15, 1944, he flew though anti-aircraft and attacking airplanes to direct artillery fire on enemy positions. For
this action Lt. Gilmore was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Lt. Gilmore stands proudly in front of his P-51 Mustang, "Super Snooper". A red and white octopus is painted on the plane`s nose.
Dean Gilmore was always fascinated with flight. While training at
Marianna Army Airfield in northwest Florida, he described the plane as....the sweetest flying airplane in the world....and we all loved to fly it. You can do slow rolls, loops, or anything, and continue until you are bored.
Lake Clermont Camp Ground
