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<blockquote data-quote="rhodesbe" data-source="post: 1774477" data-attributes="member: 2415">Incidentally, this painting depicts P-47s from the 9th AF, 406th FG, 513th FS. This was the group my grandfather flew in. In fact &#039;Big Ass Bird&#039; was flown by Howard Park, who was my grandfather&#039;s flight leader on at least 8 occasions.I believe this painting shows the action of the 406th in December 1944, during the famous &#039;Battle of the Bulge&#039;. The 406th was the only group to get airborne during the bad weather during that period.&nbsp; According to my Grandfather&#039;s flight records, he checked out 8 500 pound bombs during the days between 12/16 and 12/29. He passed away four years ago, but I did get him to share some experiences with me.&nbsp; He was not very positive on his experiences.&nbsp; The 9th AF flew tactical missions, so strafe and bomb was his primary role.&nbsp; He saw stuff that haunted his memories well into his mid 80&#039;s.&nbsp; He never cried under normal circumstances, but he told me a story of strafing halftracks full of Wehrmarct solders in the Falasie gap that made him sob with regret.RIP 1st LT. Eugene Rhodes</blockquote>

[QUOTE="rhodesbe, post: 1774477, member: 2415"] Incidentally, this painting depicts P-47s from the 9th AF, 406th FG, 513th FS. This was the group my grandfather flew in. In fact 'Big Ass Bird' was flown by Howard Park, who was my grandfather's flight leader on at least 8 occasions. I believe this painting shows the action of the 406th in December 1944, during the famous 'Battle of the Bulge'. The 406th was the only group to get airborne during the bad weather during that period. According to my Grandfather's flight records, he checked out 8 500 pound bombs during the days between 12/16 and 12/29. He passed away four years ago, but I did get him to share some experiences with me. He was not very positive on his experiences. The 9th AF flew tactical missions, so strafe and bomb was his primary role. He saw stuff that haunted his memories well into his mid 80's. He never cried under normal circumstances, but he told me a story of strafing halftracks full of Wehrmarct solders in the Falasie gap that made him sob with regret. RIP 1st LT. Eugene Rhodes [/QUOTE]

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