"The Greatest Generation - P-51D Pilot"

I recently had the distinct honor to meet a member of "The Greatest Generation" at the North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame (NCAMHOF) annual Fly-in. 2nd Lt Anthony H Goebel, USAAF, who will turn 100 on 07 July 2017 was in attendance. Lt Goebel flew 36 missions with the 487th Fighter Squadron (FS) - aka "Meyers Maulers", 352nd Fighter Group (FG) -aka "Blue Nose Bastards of Bodney" - from late 1944 through the end of the war. He is credited with three (3) confirmed kills - 2 x Me109 and 1 x Me262 - while flying P-51Ds "Miss Genny Cloud" and "Genny Cloud" named after his first wife. He flew as the wingman for Maj George Preddy, Jr (KIA 25 Dec 1944 in Belgium)., who was the top scoring P-51 Mustang ace of WWII, 6th ranked ace of the USAAF, and the 8th ranked ace of all services.

Lt Goebel's awards included the Distinguished Unit Citation with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster (OLC), Air Medal with 3 OLC, Croix de Guerre (Belgian), Europe-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze Stars, World War II Victory Medal and the Air Force Longevity Service Award with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters. Additional information can be found on the American Air Museum in Britain website at: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/9447

Lt Goebel not only had the opportunity to sit in P-51D Mustang "Obsession" owned by Mr. Jeff Micheal, he also got to ride in it as the airplane was towed to and from the fuel pits for refueling.

Accompanying Lt. Goebel was his son Anthony J Goebel who asked his father to recreate two poses from WW II - Sitting on the wing and leaning on the landing gear of his P-51D Mustang.

Lt. Goebel posing with one of the lovely young ladies in attendance

Upon departing the NCAMHOF Fly-in Dr. Alex Newsome in P-51D "Angel's Playmate" and Mr. Jeff Micheal in P-51D "Obsession" did a formation fly-by in tribute to 2nd Lt Goebel