Lt. Jimmy Brooks story

[seesul]

Hi ya all,

I guess there are some forum members they know Lt. Jimmy Brooks. He served in 31stFG, 307th sqdn and was one of the most sucessful fighters of this group with his 13 kills. By the way his last 2 kills (Bf109´s) he achieved over the area where I live.
The owner of the replica of Jimmy Brooks P-51 ''February'' (picture of this machine in my avatar) is making on movie about Jimmy Brooks story. So here´s the link Gray Eagles Foundation
Thought you could be interested...

 

[lesofprimus]

Im pretty sure I met Mr. Brooks way back in the early 80's.... I seem to recall my Grandfather talking and laughing about Yeager with him.... As most know, my Grandfather disliked Yeager....

 

[seesul]

Im pretty sure I met Mr. Brooks way back in the early 80's.... I seem to recall my Grandfather talking and laughing about Yeager with him.... As most know, my Grandfather disliked Yeager....

...the world is too small... later I tell you my story with Jimmy. Now we have lunch time here...

 

[lesofprimus]

Enjoy ur lunch meat Roman........

 

[drgondog]

Hi ya all,

I guess there are some forum members they know Lt. Jimmy Brooks. He served in 31stFG, 307th sqdn and was one of the most sucessful fighters of this group with his 13 kills. By the way his last 2 kills (Bf109´s) he achieved over the area where I live.
The owner of the replica of Jimmy Brooks P-51 ''February'' (picture of this machine in my avatar) is making on movie about Jimmy Brooks story. So here´s the link Gray Eagles Foundation
Thought you could be interested...

He was a close friend of my father. I didn't get to know him until the late 1950's, several years after Brooks left the USAF and went to work at NA as a test pilot. As I recall he was first President of the newly formed American Fighter Aces while we were living in LA.

He just sent me an article on Frantic III, in which he was leading a squadron that hammered German Suka's - claiming 25+

He has also been President of Society of Experimental Test pilots.

Regards,

Bill

 

[seesul]

Dan and Bill,

so here´s my story- as you sure know, August 29, 1944 is 'my day'. On that thay whole 20thSqdn from 2ndBG was erased form the sky by Germans from JG300,JG302,JG26 and JG3. 41 American fliers were KIA and 28 of them were buried at the Slavicin cemetery, the town, where I was born and lived till 2001. After I got to know some of the former members of 20thSqdn that survived this battle and got their stories and stories of eye witnesses, I wanted to know something about their former German enemies. I got in touch with some fighters (perhabs Willi Reschke) or their relatives (daughter of Uffz. Hansotto Nehls from 11./JG300).
I knew, that on that day there were 1st,14th and 31stFG groups in the air as well and some of them were successful as well as few Germans went down...
One of the successful American fighters was Lt. Jimmy Brooks, who shot down 2 Bf109´s. Somewhere I´ve heard he´s still alive so I started searching for his address as I wanted to thank him for his help in liberation our country and ask him for a signed picture of him. I asked a lot of Czech historians, American friends, American embassy in Prague, but no result. I almost gave it up...
But last year we have visited my American friend, mentioned in my siggy, in New Jersey. 2 days before our departure, he gave me a gift- GHOST calendar 2006. I toke a look at the front cover and said:''OMG, Joe, do you know who´s Mustang is that?'' - there was beautiful replica of 'February', that was flown by Jimmy Brooks in summer 1944 from San Severo base in Italy
So after I got back home, I send an e-mail to Phillip Makana, the photographer and the owner of GHOST company asking him for the help in location of Jimmy Brooks. He passed this e-mail to Chris Woods, the owner of this beautiful replica and Chris gave me a mailing address of Jimmy Brooks
But I´d never expect that I´ll get the address of him thanks to my friend, that was forced to jump out from a B-17G on the same day when Jimmy Brooks shot down two Germans WHAT A CHANCE

Then I sent a letter to Jimmy Brooks and got an answer from him. The end of story

Bill, don´t know if you know it but Martha passed away last year in December.
If you don´t mind could you share Jim´s Frantic story? If so my e-mail is [email protected]

Attached few pics of Jimmy Brooks and 'February'. The source of the colored pics is Chris Woods and MustangsMustangs.com | P-51 Mustangs, Ford Mustangs: 2 Classics, etched in history.

 

[drgondog]

Dan and Bill,

so here´s my story- as you sure know, August 29, 1944 is 'my day'. On that thay whole 20thSqdn from 2ndBG was erased form the sky by Germans from JG300,JG302,JG26 and JG3. 41 American fliers were KIA and 28 of them were buried at the Slavicin cemetery, the town, where I was born and lived till 2001. After I got to know some of the former members of 20thSqdn that survived this battle and got their stories and stories of eye witnesses, I wanted to know something about their former German enemies. I got in touch with some fighters (perhabs Willi Reschke) or their relatives (daughter of Uffz. Hansotto Nehls from 11./JG300).
I knew, that on that day there were 1st,14th and 31stFG groups in the air as well and some of them were successful as well as few Germans went down...
One of the successful American fighters was Lt. Jimmy Brooks, who shot down 2 Bf109´s. Somewhere I´ve heard he´s still alive so I started searching for his address as I wanted to thank him for his help in liberation our country and ask him for a signed picture of him. I asked a lot of Czech historians, American friends, American embassy in Prague, but no result. I almost gave it up...
But last year we have visited my American friend, mentioned in my siggy, in New Jersey. 2 days before our departure, he gave me a gift- GHOST calendar 2006. I toke a look at the front cover and said:''OMG, Joe, do you know who´s Mustang is that?'' - there was beautiful replica of 'February', that was flown by Jimmy Brooks in summer 1944 from San Severo base in Italy
So after I got back home, I send an e-mail to Phillip Makana, the photographer and the owner of GHOST company asking him for the help in location of Jimmy Brooks. He passed this e-mail to Chris Woods, the owner of this beautiful replica and Chris gave me a mailing address of Jimmy Brooks
But I´d never expect that I´ll get the address of him thanks to my friend, that was forced to jump out from a B-17G on the same day when Jimmy Brooks shot down two Germans WHAT A CHANCE

Then I sent a letter to Jimmy Brooks and got an answer from him. The end of story

Bill, don´t know if you know it but Martha passed away last year in December.
If you don´t mind could you share Jim´s Frantic story? If so my e-mail is [email protected]

Attached few pics of Jimmy Brooks and 'February'. The source of the colored pics is Chris Woods and MustangsMustangs.com | P-51 Mustangs, Ford Mustangs: 2 Classics, etched in history.

Roman - I have some copying to do next week - I will try to copy the article in .jpg and eamil to you.

In the same "NAA Retirees Bulletin" is an article by Al White (later B-70 Test pilot) about 355th Frantic VII... my father led the Fighter Escort. Bob White (future X-15 Test pilot and 355TFW vet in Viet Nam 20 years later) also flew that mission.

Small world dept - When I lived in Dallas, a lady across the stree from me was a Partisan trapped in Warsaw Ghetto when the supply drop occurred during Frantic VII.

I happened to invite them (husband and her- with no idea of 'connection') to a Christmas block party the year before my father passed away.

He was at the party and she was looking at the photos I had on my office wall, included was a 100BG pic dropping the supply cannisters and another was the 355th Take off assembly pic for 18 September - both entitled Frantic VII. She asked me about the pics and I told her the story - then introduced her to my father. She told him her story (including living 63 days in a chocalate candy factory surviving on rats and chocalate covered cherries) and started crying - and couldn't stop for 5-10 minutes...

She was an amazing lady...she was a sniper at the age of 15.

 

[seesul]

Roman - I have some copying to do next week - I will try to copy the article in .jpg and eamil to you.

In the same "NAA Retirees Bulletin" is an article by Al White (later B-70 Test pilot) about 355th Frantic VII... my father led the Fighter Escort. Bob White (future X-15 Test pilot and 355TFW vet in Viet Nam 20 years later) also flew that mission.

Small world dept - When I lived in Dallas, a lady across the stree from me was a Partisan trapped in Warsaw Ghetto when the supply drop occurred during Frantic VII.

I happened to invite them (husband and her- with no idea of 'connection') to a Christmas block party the year before my father passed away.

He was at the party and she was looking at the photos I had on my office wall, included was a 100BG pic dropping the supply cannisters and another was the 355th Take off assembly pic for 18 September - both entitled Frantic VII. She asked me about the pics and I told her the story - then introduced her to my father. She told him her story (including living 63 days in a chocalate candy factory surviving on rats and chocalate covered cherries) and started crying - and couldn't stop for 5-10 minutes...

She was an amazing lady...she was a sniper at the age of 15.

...just unbelievable...those moments are unforgetable...
...and thank you for you willingness...

 

[seesul]

a video trailer added at the web sites of Grey Eagles foundation, enjoy
Gray Eagles Foundation

 

[seesul]

just a side note-yesterday I got a word from Chris Woods (the owner of replica of Jimmy Brooks 'February') telling me that Jimmy is doing well and runs a mile on the beach each day!

Bill, did you copy the Jim´s Frantic story?

 

[lesofprimus]

He runs a mile everyday??? Jesus, that guy is still amazing after all these years...

 

[seesul]

He runs a mile everyday??? Jesus, that guy is still amazing after all these years...

I also couldn´t belive it...

 

[seesul]

BTW, the DVD Gray Eagles should be finished at the begining of the next year.

 

[drgondog]

Roman - I finally remembered to send you Brook's Frantic Story via email

sorry about brain fart and delay.

Regards,

Bill

 

[drgondog]

He runs a mile everyday??? Jesus, that guy is still amazing after all these years...

Dan - I never saw him with a hair out of place or in any form of grubby uniform of the day... Dad was same way. Think it may have been a product of the Depression.

 

[seesul]

Bill,

many thanks for the copies, I got them also by e-mail.

 

[seesul]

Bill, btw, don´t you have a Narrative Mission Report of 31stFG on Aug. 29, 1944?

 

[drgondog]

Bill, btw, don´t you have a Narrative Mission Report of 31stFG on Aug. 29, 1944?

Offhand I don't think so but I will check. If I do I will send via email today.

 

[seesul]

Thx in advance Bill, even if you don´t have it available!

 

[seesul]

Just wanted to tell you that I got a word yesterday that Gray Eagles DVD (the story of Jimmy Brooks and February) has been finished. You can pre order it at Gray Eagles Foundation
Video trailer Gray Eagles Foundation

I´d like to thank Chris Woods, the owner of replica of 'February' and founder of Gray Eagles foundation for keeping the story alive...Jimmy really deserves it!