03/29/2009 11:35:58
I was a T/Sgt. in charge of A Flight maintenance, 334th FIS, K-14, Korea during the time "Pete" Fernadez was shooting MIGs out of the sky. He was the best damn officer I knew in my many years in the AF. Not only was he the TOP ace of the war, he was also an officer who respected the enlisted men who kept the aircraft he flew in top combat operation condition. I saw several of the gun camera films of his kills; he flew right at the MIG (sometimes almost up the tail pipe) before knocking another Red pilot out of the sky. He gave credit for his success to those A1C who worked many hours a day to keep the Sabers in MIG Alley. I knew several of the aces in our 4th FG, some fine officers, one or two others "scum" who thought the EM's had no part in the success of the fighters. God bless Pete Fernandez (and other officers who respected their enlisted men).
