High Diver – Combat Drama in the A-36 Apache

Editor’s Note: Too often, we forget that the mighty Mustang wasn’t always mighty. Its father had humble roots, which included a specialized ground pounder, dive brakes and all. Not many A-36 Apaches were built, so pilots who flew her in combat are rare. Maj. Charles Waddell (inset) was one of those, and this is his story.

1184

Learning to Fly When I joined the service in early December 1941, around the time Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, I was already considered an old man at 22. I was born in 1918 and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where I tried to join the Air Corps in late 1938. But they didn’t really want anybody because the country was just coming out of the Great Depression and the government was flat broke. Back...

PARDON THE INTERRUPTION

You need to be a Flight Journal Digital Member to see the full article
Already a Member?

Purchase Options

membership

All the stories featured in Flight Journal are as unique and varied as the airplanes and warriors who flew them. From popular warbirds like the P-51 Mustang and Me 109 to the Lockheed SR-71 and futuristic hypersonic fighters, we cover the whole spectrum of aviation. We’ve heard from countless readers over the years about how much they enjoy the compelling stories and beautiful photography.