September 1, 2012: Photos At Remington / Airdale by Capt Pat.
Please note Bill Hadden’s note below. I forgot to mention that the all blue F9F Panther did carry Armstrong’s name as it was when he flew of the Essex. Neil Armstrong was a hero of the world and I should have remembered. By the way, if you haven’t read the Bridges of Toko Ri by James Mitchener, you really should! The movie was great, but the book was a must read!
“Pat: One more thing: I’d had the idea of decorating the Panther like Neil Armstrong’s airplane since I got it. I’d read a bit about his experiences in First Man, his only authorized biography (recommended). Ensign Armstrong flew with VF51 off the USS Essex in 1951 & 1952. There just wasn’t much documentation on his plane to be found, though. After his passing I noticed that new info had come up on the web about his plane and markings on the internet. So I made a quick set of decals, 14 in all, for this past AirDale meet. I got to meet the man briefly once, and there are few who more clearly represent what makes all of us proud to be Americans.
If you pass these Panther pictures on, I’d like you to mention Neil. Thanks.
Bill”