Charlotte Baldridge

A Manifest Spirit Charlotte Baldridge

Aerial combat. Strafing. Bombing. Protecting the bombers. Pilots, armorers and crew chiefs. Officers, cooks, mechanics, and more. These were the men of the 359th Fighter Group. The three fighter squadrons of the 359th Fighter Group, based northeast of London, flew 346 missions over continental Europe between December 1943 and April 1945. Their green-nosed Thunderbolts and Mustangs not only protected the bombers but often embraced an even more dangerous tactical role engaging ground targets. In the deadly dance that ensued many a brave young pilot lost his life in the skies over western Europe, but our bombers got through and the GIs landed at Normandy. Relying not on recollections rendered imprecise by the passage of time, or secondhand reports which inevitably lose context, A Manifest Spirit instead presents observations from the group historian, base chaplain, and the fighter pilots themselves, recorded as they occurred during the war. The complex operation of a fighter base, the deep satisfaction of a successful mission, and the heartbreak of waiting for pilots that never returned, are presented with the clarity that can only come from contemporaneous reports. A Manifest Spirit is a tribute to the officers that gave the 359th Fighter Group its organization and direction, the enlisted men who made it work, and above all the pilots, 121 of whom made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of freedom.