FRIDAY SURPRISES

Bruce Carr was a World War II US Army Airforce pilot.  He flew a P-51 Mustang (single pilot, single prop engine fighter plane) early in the war as we attacked German bases in Europe.  Shortly after he had enough kills to be called an "Ace", he was shot down over Czechoslovakia.  

The twenty year-old survived by bailing out and was able to avoid the enemy.  He lived off the land for a time but soon knew he would die without help.  As luck would have it, he found his way to a German air base and saw a Focke-Wulf 190 (fighter plane) being refueled after a flight.  He snuck into it when the fueling was finished and studied the controls (he spoke or read no German).  Early the next day, he figured out enough of the controls and chanced to take off.  He got away without incident.  

He headed east and came upon an American base camp with air strip.  They pelted him with anti-aircraft fire so he flew as low as possible to avoid it.  He didn't know how to lower the landing gear on the German plane so he had to belly it onto a grass area next to a landing strip.  

With all due respect to Clint Eastwood and Tom Cruise, this is the only record of an American actually stealing an enemy airplane.  Bruce Carr was a real hero.  He received many medals, awards and commendations and now rests with honor in Arlington National Cemetery.  

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