WW II aces grace Luke air show

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Stephen Delgado
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The Luke Days 2009 Thunder in the Desert Open House and Air Show was filled with the latest fighter aircraft, as well as numerous demonstrations, highlighted by the Thunderbirds. Tens of thousands of people heard and saw the sights and sounds of technologically advanced machines as well as historical static displays. 

However, a group of four men from a bygone era, who had fought in a war that kept the U.S. a free nation, came as guests to share their experiences during a period of history that happened before most air-show attendees were born. 

Military members at Luke Air Force Base had their introduction to these flying aces at the wing Warrior Call Friday. The film Gray Eagles was shown, which featured two of the P-51 pilots. 

The aces were Col. Robert Rankin, Col. Clarence Anderson, Maj. Ralph Wandrey and Maj. James Brooks. 

Colonel Rankin joined the Army Air Corps nine months before the Pearl Harbor attack. He served in the enlisted ranks until July 1942, when he became an aviation cadet. His visit to Luke for the air show was preceded by his first visit here 56 years ago. Then it was on to England to provide long-range escort for B-17 and B-24 aircraft. He had 10 confirmed kills of enemy aircraft. 

Despite his accomplishments, Colonel Rankin said he did have a disappointment during the war. 

"My war ended in 1944," he said. "I volunteered for another tour, but was denied. I was sent to Andrews Field, Md., to be an instructor. It turned out to be fabulous, and by the end of the war, I was flying P-51s." 

World War II was the first of three wars Colonel Rankin was part of.
"I flew the F-86 Sabre in Korea and flew C-47s with cameras in Thailand and Burma," he said. 

Colonel Rankin retired in 1973, and has not flown since retirement. He lives in Ashville, N.C., and Florida. 

His said his visit to Luke was an emotional one. 

"The accommodations are so much better and the base is so big compared to when I trained here," he said. 

Colonel Anderson also trained at Luke. He flew 116 combat missions, with 16.25 kills. 

"I had the thrill of being part of the first P-51 Mustang unit in the 8th Air Force," he said. 
"After D-Day I did interdiction. My final tour ended in January 1945. The P-51 Mustang had great firepower and an air-cooled engine. I loved flying it." 

Like Colonel Rankin, Colonel Anderson was in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He retired in 1972 and currently lives in Auburn, Calif., a town nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 

He said he still flies and enjoys going to air shows and museums to give talks. Colonel Anderson is a published author. 

"I particularly enjoyed coming to Luke for this air show," he said. "It's like a homecoming." 

Major Wandrey's journey to this point in his life could be called a miracle. 

After flying more than 200 missions in the war, he left the Air Force in 1947 because of a serious illness. 

"I had tuberculosis," he said. "The doctors told me that I'd die within two years. I took numerous pills and shots for 17 months. It must have worked, because I'm still here." 

Major Wandrey flew missions in P-38 and P-47 aircraft to escort B-24, 25, and 26 bombers. He had six confirmed and 12 probable kills. 

He has been a resident of Cottonwood, Ariz., for 31 years and is a published author.
His favorite pastime is stream fishing, which he does frequently on the Verde River and in Oak Creek Canyon. 

He said he enjoys speaking at graduations and remembers speaking at the 62nd Fighter Squadron's graduation in 2008. 

"It was a wonderful experience," he said. "After the ceremony, the squadron presented me with a fifth of Jack Daniel's whiskey with my name inscribed on one side and an F-16 on the other side. I realized how much change there has been since my military days because the head of the class was a woman." 

The fourth ace was Maj. James Brooks who was the principal subject of the film, Gray Eagles. He had 13.5 kills, three probable and was responsible for damaging two other aircraft. 

His first aircraft was a P-51B Mustang named January. When January was shot down, he received another P-51D Mustang and named it February. After World War II, Major Brooks accepted a regular commission and flew the F-86 Sabre during the first year of the Korean War. He left the Air Force in 1951. 

In his wildest dreams, Major Brooks said he never would have imagined that he would fly a P-51 Mustang in the 21st century. February had spent time in South America and eventually ended up being rebuilt in Texas. 

By coincidence, the producer and director of the film, Chris Woods, lived in the same neighborhood as Major Brooks. Mr. Woods heard of Major Brook's story and the seed was planted. 

"At first I didn't want to do the film, but Chris started to put it together," Major Brooks said. "When he told me the February would fly, I was on board. When I got into the cockpit and became airborne, it was too wonderful for words. All of the switches and buttons were right where I remembered. I was pleased with how comfortable I was after more than 50 years. An old friend had come home."