Last spring, America lost a very loved guy. Clarence Emil “Bud” Anderson was the country’s last triple ace of the Second World War. Flying P-51 Mustangs, he shot down 16 1/4 German aircraft between 1944 and 1945. He went on to serve as a test pilot in the 1950s and a combat pilot in Vietnam. He retired in ’72 as a full colonel and was later promoted to Brigadier General a couple of years before his death. The man led an extraordinary life. He was 102.
For years, he spent time on the airshow circuit and was a regular at Osh Kosh (the largest airshow and fly-in in the country), telling his story and doing meet-n-greets with the folks. His life has been documented on the History Channel, his autobiography, and all over the web.
Chuck Yeager said he was the best fighter pilot that he ever saw.
Related: Time to Go to Work
