Last of the Flying Tigers is gone.

[dozerbear]

Frank Losonsky, 99, died recently at his home in Columbus, Georgia. He was a crew chief in the 3rd squadron, "Hell's Angels", and was the last of the 311 people in the American Volunteer Group.
RIP Mr. Losonsky. The Last of The Tigers - Frank Losonsky

[jeffdoorgunner]

end of a living part of a legend. May they all RIP. never forget.

[Grandstander]

Someone who was 15 years old in 1945, would now be 90 if still among the living. We probably are a touch over a decade away from losing the last of anyone with a living memory of WW II.

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Those planes look more like sharks with the pointed front and all. They should have been called the flying sharks.

[MyTarge13]

Originally Posted by NJ Brazen_3133

Those planes look more like sharks with the pointed front and all. They should have been called the flying sharks.

Those planes with the painted on shark teeth were P-40's, one of the more interesting fighter planes of WWII. The "Flying Tigers" used those P-40's to cause the Japanese a lot of problems. In air combat, the P-40 could absorb a lot of damage and out dive almost any other plane in that theatre of operations.

[msgsing]

One interesting fact is that the AVG only existed for about six months and only flew combat after Pearl Harbor. After it was disbanded the regular AAF took over air operations. The regular AAF units that operated in theatre also called themselves Flying Tigers.

[Old Gringo]

RIP...

The Greatest Generation is quickly passing into history.

Never forget.

[USC1986]

Originally Posted by Old Gringo

RIP...

The Greatest Generation is quickly passing into history.

Never forget.

Amen to that. My father, all of my uncles, and family friends who served are all gone now.
Hard to believe sometimes how the time has just flown by.

[USC1986]

Originally Posted by MyTarge13

Those planes with the painted on shark teeth were P-40's, one of the more interesting fighter planes of WWII. The "Flying Tigers" used those P-40's to cause the Japanese a lot of problems. In air combat, the P-40 could absorb a lot of damage and out dive almost any other plane in that theatre of operations.

I think many folks are unaware that the famous shark's teeth painted on the AVG P-40's were actually preceded by P-40's of the RAF's 112 Squadron in North Africa, and they actually were inspired by shark's teeth painted on the BF 110's of the Luftwaffe's ZG 76.

[Brave New World]

Originally Posted by dozerbear

Frank Losonsky, 99, died recently at his home in Columbus, Georgia. He was a crew chief in the 3rd squadron, "Hell's Angels", and was the last of the 311 people in the American Volunteer Group.
RIP Mr. Losonsky. The Last of The Tigers - Frank Losonsky

RIP.

There is a memorial to the US Eagle Squadrons in London's Grosvenor Square opposite from a statue of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The Eagle Squadrons were volunteer pilots from the United States who fought with Britain against the Luftwaffe in the early days of World War II.

Eagle Squadrons - Wikipedia

Eagle Squadrons Memorial - Wikipedia