Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: The Fugitive on March 10, 2008, 06:26:06 AM

Title: Lost another one
Post by: The Fugitive on March 10, 2008, 06:26:06 AM: This is taken from the This is True (http://www.thisistrue.com/) news letter. Each week he writes about someone who has "canceled his subscription" and passed on. This week it was a WWII ace.

THIS WEEK'S HONORARY UNSUBSCRIBE goes to Donald Lopez. A fighter pilot in
World War II, Lopez became an ace during his 101 combat missions. On
his first kill, he actually hit a Japanese plane with his Curtiss P-40,
shearing off 2 feet of his own wing. "Rather than saying I shot him
down, I always said I 'winged' him," Lopez said later. He earned a
Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross (twice) and the Air Medal
(thrice). He also saw combat in Korea, and then taught aeronautics at
the Air Force Academy. He retired in 1964 as a Lt. Colonel. After a
stint as a test pilot, and then working on the Apollo moonshot, he
joined the staff of the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum
in Washington DC, the Smithsonian's most popular museum. He recruited
curators, helped restore aircraft, and wrote much of the explanatory
text on exhibits, working for four years getting things ready before
the museum opened. He rose to deputy director, spending 19 years in the
position. Lopez "spent the first half of his life making history," said
the museum's current director, Retired Marine Gen. Jack Dailey, "and
the second half commemorating it." Lopez died March 3 from a heart
attack. He was 84.
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: ColKLink on March 10, 2008, 06:31:32 AM: <S> sir.
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Blammo on March 10, 2008, 06:58:15 AM: <S> to another fallen warrior
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: bergy on March 10, 2008, 09:02:56 AM: <SALUTE> Donald Lopez :rock
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: sunfan1121 on March 10, 2008, 11:01:16 AM: :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Bodhi on March 10, 2008, 11:10:31 AM: thats really a bummer to keep on losing these guys... :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: uptown on March 10, 2008, 11:17:57 AM: The young men and women of that era were truely the best this country has ever produced. I salute and thank them all.

<<S>>
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Gowan on March 10, 2008, 11:18:59 AM: This is really sad, shame that all of the best people from the best era of flight have to die, and will probably die soon
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Guppy35 on March 10, 2008, 01:10:46 PM: His book "Into the Teeth of the Tiger" is well worth taking the time to read.
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: FrodeMk3 on March 10, 2008, 01:13:42 PM: :salute Donald Lopez. RIP.
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Hornet33 on March 10, 2008, 01:52:03 PM: Quote from: Guppy35 on March 10, 2008, 01:10:46 PM
His book "Into the Teeth of the Tiger" is well worth taking the time to read.

Absolutely a fantastic book. I read that one for the first time when I was 13 I think. I've been looking for a copy of it again here recently. I remember building a P-40 model and painting it to match the picture on the front cover of that book of his plane "Lopes Hope".

<S> Lt Col Lopez :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: smokey23 on March 10, 2008, 01:58:41 PM: :salute Lt col Lopez...RIP
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Hwkeye on March 10, 2008, 02:03:54 PM: R.I.P. knowing the gratitude of a nation and the free-world go with him into his eternal sleep. :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Mister Fork on March 10, 2008, 02:08:32 PM: :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Spikes on March 10, 2008, 02:09:24 PM: :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Barnes828 on March 10, 2008, 02:10:37 PM: I posted about him in the Favorite Aces Thread a couple of days ago.

He was an amazing speaker and very funny too. It was an Honor to meet him.

Quote from: Barnes828 on March 08, 2008, 05:12:21 PM
Mine is Donald S. Lopez

I was very lucky and had a chance to see him speak at the Airspace museum by Dulles Airport where his p40 "Lope's Hope" Can be seen.

He was assigned to the 23rd Fighter group, Formed from the Flying Tigers AVG under Lt.Gen Chennault.

I believe he scored 4 kills in a p40e and one in a p51.

His first encounter with the enemy plane is a famous one. He made a head on pass with a Zero, the two planes kept the attack so long their wings collided. the p40's wing tip hit the middle of the zeros chopping the wing off.

(http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/scitech/impacto/images/aviation/avimage21_large.jpg)

He wrote and published two books "Into the Teeth of the Tiger" and "Fighter Pilot's Heaven: Flight Testing the Early Jets"

Donald Lopez died from a heart attack on March 3, 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/us/08lopez.html?ref=us
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Nutzoid on March 10, 2008, 06:31:39 PM: <~~> :salut~~e
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Bronk on March 10, 2008, 06:35:36 PM: Quote from: Bodhi on March 10, 2008, 11:10:31 AM
thats really a bummer to keep on losing these guys... :salute
Sad part is the older we get the faster they go. :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: BaDkaRmA158Th on March 10, 2008, 06:43:21 PM: <<S>> :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: ink on March 10, 2008, 06:45:35 PM: :salute
to all the people who gave there lives and still do, so we can fly our cartoon planes. :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: EskimoJoe on March 10, 2008, 06:55:27 PM: ^<<S>>
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: ShrkBite on March 10, 2008, 06:57:19 PM: <Salute> :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Strip on March 10, 2008, 06:58:19 PM: :salute Maybe the greatest heros of the last century.

Strip(er)
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: VansCrew1 on March 10, 2008, 08:43:01 PM: :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: A8balls on March 10, 2008, 09:29:59 PM: <S> Bro.
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: kotrenin on March 10, 2008, 09:48:52 PM: <S>
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Newman5 on March 10, 2008, 10:05:12 PM: :salute
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: MjTalon on March 10, 2008, 10:10:55 PM: :salute :pray
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: RoGenT on March 11, 2008, 01:47:24 AM: :salute

RIP :angel:
Title: Re: Lost another one
Post by: Cee64E on March 11, 2008, 08:17:10 PM: Twenty-one Guns sound the passing of a Hero. I'd like to get to know more of these Heroes before that final Honor. If you know one, or you ARE one, stand up and sound off. Your stories are lessons for us all. :salute