"Good evening." "Welcome to my home." "Tonight you're in for an adventure." "You're going to have an opportunity to do some flying with the 352 fighter group from world war II, so..." "Why don't you come on in and we'll get started." "Hi, my name is Nick Isagna." "I'm the commanding officer of the 352nd virtual fighter group." "My rank is a full Bird Colonel, my nickname 'Deacon' comes from the fact that I am a Deacon in the Catholic Church but my real profession is a dentist." "Now this is the jacket" "I had made for my father in his 80th birthday." "And on the back I had his plane with my mom's name, Jackee Ann, hand-painted on here." "That's a picture of my dad on- it's actually Buck Pitillo's plane." "This plane was shot down on the mission we're flying tonight." "So I was playing bluegrass, punk rock and pop rock all at the same time!" "And everything just sort of fizzled out and I'm still doing the Glass Zeros." "We have a new album we just recorded and still at it." "Glass Zeros-this is the 19th year we've been at it." "So, still playing." "Love it." "I was born in Cuba and moved to the United States 6 years ago." "I still go to high school" "I'm going to be graduating in 2 months, then I"m going to be going to college to pursue a degree in aeronautical engineering." "I work for the district attorney's office" "I'm a prosecutor." "And it just naturally flows from that that I am a persecutor." "I chose the 352nd Magic Merlin because it's sort of a tribute to the power of the Merlin Engine and what it did for the P-51 Mustang and the Allies throughout the war." "I first joined the US Army in 1981." "When I returned from Iraq the guys in the squadron wanted to have a special homecoming for me and they did a nice job." "It was very touching." "Amazing." "I am the commander if the special..." "In Soviet Union after the war it was like, the KGB..." "During the war it was incredible." "And this is my..." "This is who I am." "Gentlemen." "The command staff of the 352nd virtual fighter group has formed a hall of honour to recognize former 352nd members of unusual accomplishment." "It is indeed a rare privilege to announce that the 3rd charter member of the 352nd." "Hall of Honour is Marion D. Johnson." "D. Johnson was a wonderful man and a unique flavour to our squadron." "The 352nd virtual fighter group flew a mission that re-created an actual mission flown by the 352nd fighter group." "Lt. Marion D. Johnson, Rooster's father, participated in the actual mission group." "This plane... of course your grandmother's named Jackee Ann, and grandpa, it was the chosen name for his plane." "And I always flew Jackie Ann with your grandmas name on it." "The place of honour was occupied by an aircraft that was created to replicate the plane that Rooster's father flew." "And we added rooster's father's face from a photograph of him so that it added to the realism." "Recreating the actual missions that the 352nd fighter group flew during world war II is our way of bringing honour and remembrance to the men, some of whom gave up their lives, that we can remain free to enjoy our lives in any way" "shape or form that we want." "We have 15 guys flying with us this evening." "Alright gentlemen." "Are you all ready to take off?" "Everybody lined up?" "Alright." "This is ground control, stand by." "You are ready to go sir!" "Got it." "This is the tower, go ahead." "You are clear for takeoff!" "Your grandfather flew with the 352nd fighter group all squads were present, they escorted B-17s into Germany." "It's because my father was a world war II pilot and as a young kid I always heard the stories and used to take a look at his uniforms all the time in the closet and just always loved it." "Right here, this is the stick it controls roll." "This is the speed indicator it measures the air speed of the plane." "This is the compass, it also serves as an ADF to navigate." "Here we have the gun sight." "To our left down, this is the fuel, the main tanks..." "This game has the ability to change the face of the pilots." "You can put almost anybody you want in there, but I put Clarke Gables' picture." "Clarke Gable was a famous movie actor and he volunteered to serve in the United States Army Air Force during World War II." "I've been very vey blessed." "I've had the opportunity to marry a wonderful woman, to have 2 beautiful children who never gave me any trouble to have 2 beautiful granddaughters." "The lord's blessed me with the opportunity to be a professional given me the opportunity to serve Him by being a Deacon..." "I can't ask for too much more than that in life." "He's very warm, very giving and he enjoys what he's doing and that's an important part of life." "There's my wife!" "On the plane." "Yeah, I'm very happy he's home now and he's safe and all in once piece with no injuries." "It's just kid of fun to hear some of the reactions she gets when she comes to watch." "She'll watch me get shot down and she'll laugh." "We're expecting our baby in November." "When I was 18" "I wanted to fight the war." "After the terrorist attacks on 9/11 you know, I guess I wanted to do my part." "I enlisted in the marines, became a rifleman, I was in the infantry," "My unit deployed to Iraq and I ended up as a scout on a light armoured reconnaissance vehicle." "I didn't like the things that we did." "It's a hell of a thing when you've got a whole country that wants to kill you and your friends." "It really wakes you up." "Reality check." "After this all... fucking shit from the Germans" "we 20-more than 20 million millions people dying in this terrible war." "The flag that flies outside my house that's probably the 8th flag- in fact I just replaced it because it flies everyday." "It flies for a special reason." "I don't consider myself a flag waver, never have." "But after September 11th" "I was so offended by what happened, so shocked, that there has been a flag in front of my house ever since." "I would defend the American flag with my life if I had to." "I would give my life for this country for all the great things it has given me." "Even though Cuba is my country of birth" "I consider this country my country because as the saying says:" "A father is not the one that makes you but the one that raises you." "I believe that a country is not the one you are born in, but the one that you live in and enjoy life in." "Next to the 17s and hopefully I get some kind of protection from them." "I see that the Polish squadron has joined the 352nd and are escorting the bombers they're right below the bombers" "I see they have a very good formation going on they're quite professional looking down there." "I'm glad they joined us." "Hello 352, this is 303 Polos, we are happy to join you in this mission in memory of Rooster's father." "Your grandfather was fortunate enough to survive and to get 2190s" "and a 109s - 2 destroyed and 2 damaged." "He got the air medal several times but he got the air medal that day for this mission and his accomplishments." "That's the one you're doing right now?" "Uhuh." "I was very very lucky." "I shot all 3 of them down." "Because I did" "I wound up winning the silver star for that particular mission." "I don't ever wear that medal, though." "Too many men have shed too much blood actually earning that award to have me display it for uh..." "Something that I enjoy in a simulation like this." "Highjinks your 6 is clear, I'm with you." "Attention!" "Stay in formation." "Stand by for my order." "Copy-continue to next waypoint." "It's a lot of fun." "A good navigation exersize." "What do you guys do, do you have a job or do you just sit there and wait?" "You mean to get over there?" "Yeah." "We fly." "Yeah, but you don't have anything to shorten the time between?" "An hour fly is an hour fly, you're just sitting there?" "The longest mission that I've ever been on virtually, once there was a very special mission and we even had to start it earlier." "It was 4 hours long, takeoff to landing." "And when we landed I was really really tired." "Sometimes after a really long mission with a lot of action your hands are sweaty and you feel drained." "Engine's spooling..." "Oh, that's a pizza!" "How's that for juggling!" "Yeah, I had to grab a pizza." "Sorry." "The music you are listening to is the theme song of the most popular band leader in the world, Glen Miller." "Who stopped his private band to join the US Army Air Force." "2 years later, Glen Miller disappeared and it was believed he died." "I play it all the time now." "In work, home, wherever I can." "In my car, it's music that says something to me." "Glen Miller's music probably just reminds me of a time when families were more important and people had an opportunity to spend more time with their families." "My god, they're just everywhere!" "They're everywhere!" "I don't know which one to shoot at!" "5s coming in on you, Mike." "Get outta there!" "White 7s coming around on you, Percy." "Brake, hard right, hard right." "There's 7 Germans in him right now" "I'm going to try and clear them up." "Jesus, get them off me!" "Good job clash." "I got him smoking." "There you go, you got him." "Now to finish him off, he's still moving." "We're under attack, request immediate assistance!" "Mayday, I'm going to try to ditch!" "I'm on fire, bailing out!" "We're beginning our bombing run." "Bombs away!" "Direct hit." "Target destroyed." "Aint that pretty." "Got him." "Dammit..." "He's coming down." "Let's go for that outer edge" "I got someone on me," "Whoa!" "I just took some damage." "Dead in the cockpit." "Flame me." "Oh my god, that guys in trouble." "He's wounded." "Don't know where he came from." "Jump." "Get me out of there." "Dammit." "I wasn't able to bail." "I pulled the canopy and it blew up on me." "Ahhh!" "Nice, nice move!" "Ah..." "I hate when that happens." "Rest in piece, Anthony." "Amen." "I'm just glad it's not real." "See if I can't take him out and get some revenge." "Crash landing..." "If I get captured" "I hope you guys will send me some care packages." "I will." "I'll send him a care package." "I will go pick up Rooster." "I will land on the road and pick him up." "I think I will be able to make it down that road, it looks long enough and wide enough to land there." "Watch yourself." "Mike's real good." "Right now I'm running to Rooster's plane to pick him up" "I think he's injured and I'm going to drag him back to my plane." "Oh no..." "Thanks Mike!" "I won't have to swim because I don't like swimming in cold water and I hear that the channel is very cold." "So now I just jump out of my airplane here jump into my-oh!" "Honey, my gas tank got shot full of holes while I was flying over the English Channel and my engine died and I crash landed in the water." "I had to swim 1.5km to the shore and I'm freezing cold and I need some hot tea." "Fix it yourself." "He smells like a Roman Catholic Church!" "One of the top reasons why I love him." "Our relationship is based on the fact that I smell like a Roman Catholic Church." "Wonderful." "I've loved her since I met her." "That, ladies and gentlemen, is how Keith Jackson does his hair." "The reason that I obtained this B-4 bag is my father in world War II was working in Waterbury Connecticut and his job was to make all these snap fasteners." "Not only for this B-4 bag but for every piece of equipment that an American soldier had to wear." "As my brother and I grew up we were both very interested in the military." "So we both wanted to join the army when we grew up." "It will always be a regret of mine to not have joined the military but I've got to look up to my brother because he did it." "On the pocket covers you have a." "You have a little- it's called an infared reflector." "So if somebody is looking at you, illuminating you with infared energy it will reflect off this little patch and it will give the viewer immediate recognition that this is a US soldier." "Now this is all Germans." "This is the German sock." "These German medals are real from Deutschland." "Soon, maybe 2 or 3 days," "I take it to the Germans and maybe some families can find their" "grandfathers, fathers..." "After my brother came back from Iraq he may have changed a little bit." "The one day that I remember the most?" "Uh..." "Was the first time that I ever had to pull the trigger on someone." "First time I ever killed a man." "That was the day that sticks out in my mind as..." "As that one day, you know, that I remember the most from Iraq and probably for the rest of my life." "It'll be the one day- not only the one day, but the one 10 seconds that I'll remember for the rest of my life." "That was their biggest fear was having to jump out and be captured." "Cause they didn't know what would happen to them." "Wether the Germans, how they would treat them or if they would kill them." "So that was a fear," "I think of both sides." "The real fear for pilots." "There's an assortment of medals for European theatre, service after the war, he stayed in Germany for a year." "I don't look back on the war as being a bad time." "When I look back on it now" "I wouldn't trade it for anything." "I really enjoyed the time that I was over there and I don't think that I would trade it for anything." "This will be my whole evening, watching this." "She gets really into this." "I tell him I love him and I wish he were here." "And I do wish he were here." "And just things like that anything that comes to my mind I say to him." "But, as I say, he never answered me so I kind of gave up talking to him!" "He was happy there, too."