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67.   US WWII FIGHTER PILOT Uniform & AIR MEDAL Grouping - 357th Fighter Group - KIA ARNHEM - Market Garden!
Very nice uniform IKE jacket, mint trousers (still with shop tag)  to 1st. Lt. James L. BLANCHARD III - O-464693.  Blanchard served with the 357 FG, 362 FS - "The Yoxford Boys." This was the FIRST P-51 Mustang unit in the 8th Air Force!
Blanchard was credited with one kill - comes with copy of his claim document.  He shot down an Me 109 on Sept 18, 1944 in the vicinity of NIJMEGEN, Holland during the second day of operation MARKET GARDEN!  He was killed the day and was classified as "Failed to Return" (FTR) while flying area support mission for 1st Airborne to Arnhem in P-51D 44-13741 'Buddy Boy.' He was shot down by enemy fighters. Later classified as Killed in Action (KIA) 19-Sep-44. Comes with copy of his Missing Air Crew Report -MACR 8794. Also in the pockets of his Ike are copies of two news paper articles, one about him destroying a Ju-52 on the ground, a second about him being reported missing.  Group comes with his Cased Air Medal - unnamed as it was his first one issued in the field.  The IKE is beautiful with a gorgeous BULLION 8th AF patch ($250 by itself), BULLION pilots WINGS, ribbon bars (broken pin), 1st Lt bars.
$1100