So Close

We did not mention Louis Curdes’ rank in this story intentionally. We were not certain if he was a Lieutenant or Captain at the time of this incident. He retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel.

There is a myth that his future wife was one of the passengers on the transport he shot down. While that story isn’t true, it is true that he had been on a date with one of the nurses on the transport.

HistoryNet has a nice article on Louis Curdes’ exploits.

Louis Curdes in his P-51

Louis Curdes’ P-51 at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, proudly displaying his kills.

Wider image of the same aircraft

The general we mentioned in the story was General George C. Kenney, commander of the Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area. The comment about a repeat performance comes from his memoirs, General Kenney Reports.