The Guys with the Wrenches – The pilots got the glory but the unknown heroes were the mechanics

Many of the air bases that supported operations, like this one on Iwo Jima in 1945, were makeshift and exposed crews to enemy fire and the harsh elements. The mechanics and maintenance crews continually worked miracles to keep the fighters flying!

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It’s hard to accurately put the importance of the WW II crew chief, his mechanics and the armorers in perspective. It’s just as difficult to visualize both the complexity of their jobs and the environments in which they had to perform them. First the hardware: If you strip away the intricate electronic systems of today’s fighters, it’s not stretching the facts to say that it’s easier to maintain a jet than it is an R-2800...

PARDON THE INTERRUPTION

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