Quentin C. Aanenson

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Quentin C. Aanenson
9th Air Force
Battles/warsWorld War II

Quentin C. Aanenson (April 21, 1921 – December 28, 2008) was a

European campaign.[2]

Life

Originally from

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he met his wife Jackie.[2][4]

Aanenson demonstrated exceptional courage and ability as a fighter pilot, amassing tens of kills and beating all odds to survive the early months of his tour of duty.

P-47 was called down to assist some American troops under attack by a tank. He surveyed the scene, then reported to the troops that the tank was too close to them for him to fire upon it without risking injury to the Americans. However, since the soldiers were sure to be killed if the tank wasn't stopped, Aanenson decided to attack, and he managed to destroy the tank cleanly. About two years after the war, Aanenson met a new neighbor who started to recount the story. About halfway through, Aanenson finished the memorable event for him, and for a time they both shared in the emotion of the event.[6]

Aanenson was a Commander of the

The Civil War. Written December 5, 1944, the letter reads:[2][4]

Dear Jackie,

For the past two hours, I've been sitting here alone in my tent, trying to figure out just what I should do and what I should say in this letter in response to your letters and some questions you have asked. I have purposely not told you much about my world over here, because I thought it might upset you. Perhaps that has been a mistake, so let me correct that right now. I still doubt if you will be able to comprehend it. I don’t think anyone can who has not been through it.

I live in a world of death. I have watched my friends die in a variety of violent ways...

Sometimes it's just an engine failure on takeoff resulting in a violent explosion. There's not enough left to bury. Other times, it's the deadly flak that tears into a plane. If the pilot is lucky, the flak kills him. But usually he isn't, and he burns to death as his plane spins in. Fire is the worst. In early September one of my good friends crashed on the edge of our field. As he was pulled from the burning plane, the skin came off his arms. His face was almost burned away. He was still conscious and trying to talk. You can't imagine the horror.

So far, I have done my duty in this war. I have never aborted a mission or failed to dive on a target no matter how intense the flak. I have lived for my dreams for the future. But like everything else around me, my dreams are dying, too. In spite of everything, I may live through this war and return to Baton Rouge. But I am not the same person you said goodbye to on May 3. No one can go through this and not change. We are all casualties. In the meantime, we just go on. Some way, somehow, this will all have an ending. Whatever it is, I am ready for it.

Quentin

Later years

According to the PBS website, Quentin and Jackie married after the war and had three children and eight grandchildren. He worked in the insurance field after graduating from Louisiana State University.[citation needed]

Aanenson died from cancer at his home in Bethesda, Maryland, on December 28, 2008, aged 87.[2] He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.[3]

Tributes

The painting Thunderbolt Patriot by William R. Farrell, now in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution of the National Air and Space Museum, depicts Aanenson having just returned from a combat mission over Germany during World War II.[citation needed]

The airfield at Luverne Municipal Airport (KLYV) was named Quentin Aanenson Field in his honor.[7]

References

  1. ^ Sec. 64, grave 6992, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA., Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 247-248). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
  2. ^ a b c d e Sullivan, Patricia (2008-12-30). "WWII Fighter Pilot Shared Haunting Story With the World". Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
  3. ^ a b Resting Places: The Burial Places of 14,000 Famous Persons, by Scott Wilson
  4. ^ a b "Ken Burns' new World War II miniseries is a masterpiece". The Times-Picaynne. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
  5. ^ Burns, Ken: "The War" (2007 documentary)
  6. ^ a b Aanenson, Quentin C.: "A Fighter Pilot's Story" (1993 documentary).
  7. ^ "Current Weather Conditions: Luverne, Quentin Aanenson Field Airport, MN, United States". National Weather Service - Telecommunication Operations Center. Retrieved 2009-01-04.

Sources

External links

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