I see this fellow often, about once a month, during my tours as a volunteer at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. He is Donald Emerson just down from a mission flying his P-51 fighter plane over Germany during World War II. This photo was taken in November 1944. He was shot down and killed by ground fire about a month later on Christmas Day 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. The look on his face, well, I can't explain it, but it is haunting. He was 21 years old.
A niece wrote a good book about him, "Donald's Story." I recommend it. I learned from the book he is buried at a cemetery in Holland. One day I hope to visit his grave as well as the one of my uncle, Vernon Du Val. Vernon who was from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was killed during the battle for Normandy, I think like D-Day plus 13. He'd already been wounded when he went back into battle only to be killed again. What a tragedy war is for so many people, truly.
