**** DONE: GB-63 1/48 P-47D Thunderbolt - Stormy Weather

Donivanp · Aug 2, 2024

Username : donivanp
First name : Don
Category : intermediate
Scale : 1/48
Manufacturer: Tamiya
Model Type: P-47D Thunderbolt razorback
Aftermarket addons: Quanta Studio cockpit and Master gun barrels

Thunderbolts and Lightning, Very very frightening. and in the hands if the right man this is very very true. This is about one man named Gerald "Jerry" R, Johnson.

At one point the 457th Fighter squadron ran low on P-38's, they were forced to give up their precious Lightnings for the Thunderbolts. Though most did not like the P-47, including our hero Jerry Johnson, he got two kills in the bolt. He than went home on an R&R and when he came back he was re equipped with the P-38L.

Donivanp · Aug 2, 2024

Gerald "Jerry" R. Johnson was a vibrant enthusiastic man born in Akron, Ohio June 23rd 1920, to a self made lawyer and minister and moved to Yoncalla, Oregon in 1936 where is uncle lived. Being and avid outdoors man, he loved to hunt and fish with his cousin in and around Yoncalla. (I've lived there, ain't nothing there), shortly there after the family moved to Eugene which at the time was a lumber town of about 20,000, (still is primary a lumber town but has a population of around 177,000), (oh yeah, I've lived there for several years).

Gerald was a teenager when he arrived in Oregon and started is Jr year at Eugene High school with is brother Harold. New to the school and being from out of state (the other "O" state) they had a bit of a time making friends. Jerry joined the Cheer squad and he found his nitch.

After high school Jerry went on to the University of Oregon there in Eugene. His father wanted him to become a lawyer or a minister like he was. Jerry thought he might want to become a dentist and stated to pursue that line of schooling. With the winds of war blowing Jerry joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CTPT) where the government in hopes of training a core of new young pilots thought you to fly for free (wish they had that when I was young).

He soon got his wings and flew around his stomping ground in a Piper Cub. In 1940 while still in college Jerry joind the USAAC (United States Army Air Corp) which was not what is father wanted but he finely broke dawn and accepted it. Reporting to Vancouver Barracks, Washington (just across the state line (Columbia River) from Portland, Oregon) in March 1941.He earned his Eagle Scout badge just before leaving to USAAC training. After learning to fly the PT-17 in Oxnard, California where he graduated primary training in May of 1941. He than was transferred to Bakersfield. California for basic flight training. There was no base and the cadets had to stay in an old high school gym for their living quarters. Flying BT-13 for basic flight training. After completing Basic flight training, he was sent to Luke field, Arizona just outside Phoenix (now Luke Air Force Base). After completing Advanced Flight Training Jerry received his wings and his butter bars. Going from Luke to the 57th Pursuit Squadron Paine Field, Washington.

The 57th had a hodgepodge mix of P-36 and P-40's but hardly enough to truly call themselves a squadron. As December came around the war scares were high and the men went on alert. The planes were dispersed to different fields across the west coast. Shortly the squadron gained some older P-39's to add to the mix. Jerry trained in P-40's and P-39's and was shortly sent to Alaska.

Flying out of Alaska Jerry meant Tommy McGuire and flew often with him in P-39. During this time Jerry had his first taste of combat claiming two A6M2 Rufe's during his time there. No conformation was awarded him though.

After Alaska Jerry and Tommy were sent to the Dobodura New Guinea in April of '43. P-38's and B-26's as well as a mix of P-39 and P-40's, Wirraway's and Beaufighter's and C-47 all in one place on a packed dirt strip. Jerry was fling the P-38F and G's at first but would later fly the H and than the P-47D Razorback. He would finish the war with 22 kills and flying a P-38L-5-LO.

In October 1945, two months after the war ended, Col Gerald R. Johnson would lose his life flying a B-25 in to a storm of Okinawa Japan when one of his crew had forgotten a parachute and Jerry gave him his. All the crew parachuted and were recovered but Jerry and his co-pilot were never found.
In just four short years Jerry Johnson went form a 2ed Lieutenant to a full Colonel, from a wing man to a hunter killer flying with Richard "Dick" Bong (40 kills) and Tomas "Tommy" McGuire (38 Kills) and Charles McDonald (27 kills). He is in a tie for the fourth place US ace of the PTO with 22 kills.
His P-38 was named Barbra after his girl friend than wife and later Jerry after his new born son.