Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Guppy35 on September 03, 2008, 10:05:29 PM
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I saw it posted on another forum that Don Blakelsee, who lead the 4th FG through much of WW2 has passed away at the age of 90.
Thought he might live forever. One heckuva fighter pilot and leader.
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(http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj241/jaepton/Blakeslee-2.jpg)
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Pony God.
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This is part of the reason I keep playing AH. To honor their memories as they pass. By doing so we keep the era alive in our generation and those to come, so the sacrifice that was made during the, hopefully, Last World War, will never be forgotten.
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* sniff sniff *
He will be missed
<S> :cry :cry
KEEP ROCKIN IN HEAVEN!
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Fair skies and tailwinds.
Thank you for your service.
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Cheers Horseback, you and your men will not be forgotten.
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Prayers sent and :salute
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<S> and RIP Col. Don Blakelsee. Condolences to family and friends.
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:salute Don Blakeslee
(original name in error)
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Col. Steve Pisanos, USAF, Ret. on Blakeslee
"In 1986, I was invited to the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, by my friend, Dimitri Countouris, a retired general of the Greek Air Force and a manufacturer's rep. in Greece, who represented many aviation companies from all over. When I met Dimitri in Paris, he told me that we were going to have lunch at the Bell Helicopter Chalet, with a group of people.
The Bell people had reserved a round table for 10 at the Chalet, as they thought much of Countouris, since he had sold a good number of helicopters to the Greek Army.
We were sitting at our table at the Chalet and about 12:00 noon, when my friend's friend, walked in with another couple, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted the great Luftwaffe ace with 105 victories in WWII, my ex. enemy Gen. Adolf Galland.
I knew Galland from history and photos, but he didn't know me. At the table, my friend placed me at the chair to the left of my ex. enemy, who by the way, spoke English with an accent like me. I was introduced to Galland as Steve Pisanos, friend of Dimitri.
We had just started to sip our wine, when Galland turned to me and said, "You helicopter pilot?"
"No General," I said, "I don't like helicopters. I fly real aeroplanes."
"And what aeroplanes do you fly?" he asked.
"I don't fly now general, but in World War Two I flew Spitfires."
"You flew SPITFIRES???" he uttered sharply.
"Yes sir. General, I was with the 71st Eagle Squadron in the RAF, and later on with the USAAF 4th Fighter Group, that escorted the B-17s to Berlin the first time, on March the 3rd.
"That was BLAKESLEE'S GROUP!!!" he exclaimed.
"Yes it was. Why? Do you know Colonel Blakeslee, General?"
"My friend, we knew him very well in the Luftwaffe. I was in Berlin that day meeting with Marshall Goering and when we were informed that the Americans were coming over with B-17s and that they were being escorted by Mustangs, I knew it was Blakeslee and his pilots.
Galland then said, "You know my friend, we had gotten Hub Zemke, but truthfully, Blakeslee was the one we wanted."
(Excerpted from a rather long letter that Col. Pisanos wrote about two year ago.)
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"Rest in Peace" Colonel
September 11, 1917 - September 3, 2008
(http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com/graphics/Blakeslee_littlefriends_via_jack_cook.jpg)
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http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/URG/blakesle.html
BTW, we have his 4th FG P-47D11 in game coded WD*C.
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