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Air Force reunion

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jackq

jackq

Jedi Knight
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Returned from Colorado Springs where I attended our yearly reunion of the 49th Fighter Squadron. Our members span folks from WW2 thru the present time. It was honor to meet a true American hero named Jack Lenux. Small in stature but a very brave man. In four months in North Africa he shot down five German aircraft and became an Ace..I ate breakfast yesterday morning with him and an old pal from Memphis named Frank Mullinax, who was also in North Africa..both flew P-38s. Frank was shot down and captured after strafing a convoy and shooting down two German aircraft. Going for his third he was shot down. The man who got him eventually was shot down and didn't survive..but was accredited with 204 kills up until then. A truly amazing bunch of men. Sitting there they both thanked me for my service in Vietnam and serving 20 years. It paled next to what they'd been thru. After his capture, Frank escaped off a train and along with another escapee, lived in a ave in Italy for over nine months before walking out and into a British squad. He was eventually returned to American lines and after asking to get back in the fight(after more than two years gone) was returned to the US where he was made an instructor. Became a lawyer after the war and lives in Memphis.
 
Sounds like you had a terrific reunion Jack! Thanks for your service!
 
Most excellent!!!

ISTR the Mullinax tale... if you maintain contact with him, I have a name you might ask him about. :wink:
 
Couple of WW2 guys pics.Second from left is Jack..the Ace with five kills. Fourth from left is Frank..He got two and while lining up number three was shot down and captured. Very reluctant heroes.
 

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Thank you for your service Jack! My dad-in-law passed 2 years ago and he was so very proud of his service during World War II and expecially of his brother Charlie's service. Uncle Charlie died in the camps after completing the Bataan Death March. Our NM Senator at the time, Pete Dominici, honored my father-in-law on his birthday (July 4th) by getting all his brother's medals as well as those that Chester never got and gave them to Chester in a special ceremony at the local FBO. Chester thought he was just going to the airport with his son, a pilot, for a routine visit to service the plane before a Monday trip. This was about 8 years ago. Chester a proud man who never cried actually cried when he touched his brother's medals. An event neither his son or I will ever forget.
 
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