Phil "Strales" Straley.  We have often written about our heroes here at this distinguished institution of higher learning. They are usually folks that we have all heard of from the wars of our past. Today I’m going to write about one of my heroes and a great friend that I will miss dearly. Phil flew F-111’s, A-10's and F-16’s before going to FedEx as a an airline pilot. ”Strales” was killed in an accident in Memphis a few weeks ago and the world has been a duller place without his presence. He was a great man, a great husband to his exceptional wife Judi and a great friend to all who knew him. We will all miss his voice and the way he owned a room as soon as he walked into it. I’ll see you on the other side Strales; have the rum ready. Here’s a short synopsis of his life.

Colonel Philip Straley Died October 14, 2009, from injuries received in an automobile accident on October 5, 2009 in Memphis, TN. Col. Straley was formerly of Clinton, Iowa, but has resided in Tucson for many years. Phil was born September 14, 1948 in Clinton, Iowa, to Larry and Virginia Straley. He was raised at the Clinton Municipal Airport, which his father managed for 35 years. On Phil's sixteenth birthday he had the distinction of achieving solo flight in, not just one, but sixteen different planes. Following graduation from Camanche High School he went through ROTC at Coe College and became an Air Force Commissioned Officer. His military career spanned twenty-six years, and took him through Southeast Asia, Europe and the Middle East flying various fighter aircraft. The proudest of his accomplishments was becoming the Commander of the 308th TFS, Emerald Knights. His "comrades in arms" will tell you that he was a "pilot's pilot" who was never shy to tell you about his adventures. After retiring from the military he began flying Boeing 727's for FED EX, and became a Line Check Airman as well. Col. Straley is survived by his wife Judi; daughter, Anna (James) Cameron of Edinburgh, Scotland; son, Trent (Karita) of Phoenix; grandchildren, Piper and Nolan; brothers, Steve (Judy) of Tucson and J.B. (Kathy) of Eldridge, IA. Military Funeral Service was held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, October 23, 2009 at Davis Monthan Air Force Base Chapel. Memorials may be made in the Colonel's name to River Rats Air Warrior Foundation, St. Judes Childrens Research Foundation, Special Olympics, or Honor Flight Fund.

Bud Anderson. During WW II, Colonel Bud Anderson was a flight leader and mentor to pilots like Chuck Yeager.  Bud is a WWII Triple Ace who flew the P-51 Mustang "Old Crow" while assigned to the 357th Fighter Group "Yoxford Boys," 8th Air Force, Leiston Field, United Kingdom. The 357th Fighter Group was credited with shooting down 609 1/2 enemy aircraft in only 15 months, a pace no other fighter group equaled. The 357th, also produced 42 Aces, more than any other group. 

He served two combat tours in the P-51 Mustang, Nov 1943 through Jan 1945.  He flew 116 sorties with the 357th Fighter Group, scoring 16.25 victories, the fourth-ranking ace of that outstanding group, which also included John England, 'Kit' Carson, Robert Foy, R.A. Peterson, Don ("Stick with me honey, and you'll be farting through silk.") Bochkay, and a little West Virginian kid named Chuck Yeager.  Chuck called Bud “the best pilot I’ve ever seen.”

He learned to fly at age 19 gaining his private pilots license in 1941 through the Civilian Pilot Training Program while attending college. In Jan 1942 he entered the US Army Aviation Cadet Program receiving his wings and commission in Sept 1942.  He received his test pilot training by completing the AMC Performance Course (1948) and the Stability and Control Course (1949) while at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

Other assignments in his 30 years of continuous military service include duty as Commander of an F-86 Squadron in post war Korea, and Commander of an F-105 Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. He served in Southeast Asia, where he was Commander of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing. Col. Anderson flew strikes against enemy supply lines, and later was in charge of closing the first large air base in Thailand when his combat wing was deactivated. Col. Anderson was decorated 26 times. His awards include 2 Legion of Merits, 5 Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, 16 Air Medals, the French Legion of Honor, and the French Croix de Guerre, as well as many campaign and service ribbons.

The faculty at Fighter Pilot University is proud to name Bud Anderson as our latest FU Hero.

Leonard "Kit" Carson While looking through our next selection for FU Heroes, I happened to find a lot of art for Kit’s P-51s throughout the latter part of WW II. There are several brief references to Kit and his association with the 357th group but, as the top ace from that group, I was surprised at the lack of concise information on this skilled pilot.

Carson was on the verge of heading for the Pacific with a P-39 outfit but instead joined the 357th. His first victory was on April 8, 1944. For gunnery, his chosen technique for success was to bore in close to his victim rather than rely on deflection shooting. "Get dead astern and drive in to 200 yards or less, right down to 50 yards and fire a couple of one-second bursts."  He chalked up the bulk of his score during the final six months of the war, flying Nooky Booky IV. Passing on his skills, for a time, he ran 'Clobber College' (Kickass name!) the 357th's combat school.

When training, he emphasized the challenges of flying seven-hour missions (piddle packs anyone?) in the harsh weather of Northwestern  Europe. He stressed the importance of the "two-ship" element, and the defensive strengths of the P-51. "Do anything you can to break his line of sight on you. Once you've done that, he can't lay a glove on you." He insisted that the new pilots master instrument flying, a necessity in the rain, snow, ice, and poor visibility of the European theater. "Anyone who has a casual attitude toward flying in this climate is going to wind up wearing an 8,000 pound coffin at the bottom of the North Sea." He noted that they should all become intimately familiar with the east coast of England, as the biggest aid in zeroing in on home plate. He emphasized the need to train and plan on the long  missions, and to dress as if they "were going to have to walk out of Germany."