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P-51 Pilot


Subdeacon Joe

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Posted

Found on FB

 

IWO JIMA.
Early in the morning, the pilot of the North American P-51 "FAMRA", heads for his plane. He carries approximately 85 pounds of personal equipment including parachute, lifebelt, life raft, seat, survival vest, helmet and goggles. Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands. July 1945.   ORIGINAL HISTORIC WARTIME CAPTION.   (NARA)

 

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Posted

The reasons for taking Iwo Jima was to provide fighter escort for the B-29 and to provide an emergency airfield for B-29's either damaged or short on fuel coming back from raids on Japan.

Posted
25 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

That pilot doesn't look old enough to shave.

Looks like he can barely carry the load as well. Unless maybe he's just picking it up when the camera snapped the photo.

Posted
40 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

That pilot doesn't look old enough to shave.

 

Why, he might be all of twenty years old!

 

13 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Looks like he can barely carry the load as well. Unless maybe he's just picking it up when the camera snapped the photo.

 

My guess is that it was slipping and he was trying to shift it for a better grip.   At 85 pounds I bet that's more than half his bodyweight. 

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