Gen. Quesada leads flight opening drive
An advanced U.S. 9th Air Force fighter base, France – (July 2, delayed)
A dive-bombing mission of such unusual importance that the commander of the 9th Tactical Air Force, Maj. Gen. Elwood Quesada of Washington, DC, led the flight, was carried out late today by a dozen fighter pilots in advance of the big American push.
The 39-year-old general led the flight down to the deck, flying within a few feet of the ground to loose 500-pound delayed-action bombs. He said details of the mission could not be disclosed for several days.
Gen. Quesada said:
It was a fair flight. We really beat up the place. On the way back we went down and strafed a concentration of troops and supplies near Saint-Lô.
With him on the mission was Col. Dyke Meyer of Kirkwood, Missouri. There was a tense air of expectancy at this base when it became known the general was coming in on a special mission.
“This is really going to be hot,” he told the other pilots. “We are doing a job of extreme importance – unusual importance.”
A few minutes later, they took off. Quesada said on their return:
We beat hell out of the objective. It was bad weather and our bombing could have been better, but they landed close enough. Man, it’s good to get away from the desk for a change. Meyer and I are old men compared to the youngsters, but we’re not too old to get in a lick.