Vacriu has a new addition to the P-38 family.Lt. William Lassiter
P-38L-1-LO “Miss Sis II"
S/N 44-25006
82nd FG, 96th FS
Italy, 1944-45
A special thanks to Lyric1 for his research on this skin.
This is the Lockheed P-38L-1-LO "Miss Sis II" (S/N 44-25006) flown by Lt. William "Bill" Lassiter of the 82nd Fighter Group, 96th Fighter Squadron from 13 September 1944 - 22 February 1945. Miss Sis was his the childhood nickname of his wife, Annie Delle Lassiter (Crigler, married 5 June 1942) with whom he had three children.
On 22 February 1945 while on a strafing mission near Munich, Germany, Bill took his flight down to attack a train hiding in some trees. Hit by flak, Bill's Lightning suffered severe damage including the loss of an engine. He radioed his wing man, Lt. Kenneth Herrick that he was going to have to make a crash landing. After safely belly landing the plane he waved at Kenneth to let him know that he was okay before running away from the area. He would eventually be captured and spend the rest of the war as a POW.
Bill reverted to inactive service in October 1945. In September 1952 he returned to active duty in the US Air Force. From June 1953 to June 1954 he was with the 3rd Bomb Wing in Korea where he served as a base supply officer and flew C-47 transport planes. As a Captain he served as an instructor at the USAF ROTC Headquarters Air Command and Staff School at Mississippi State College.
On the evening of 12 November 1954, Bill and fellow instructor Edwin Ellis were flying a North American T-6 "Texan" trainer (s/n 51-14805) for a proficiency flight. The plane crashed about 6 miles from the Starkville Airport, killing both Bill and Edwin.
The tail section of this P-38 was recovered with the yellow paint of the 82nd FG still intact and is on display at the Wings Remembered Museum in Tennessee.
