Sabot Group hosted an event for Combat Veterans, many of whom served on multiple deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. The veterans came from Stockton, Sacramento, San Diego, Orange County, Colorado, Los Angeles and Virginia
On display was David McCampbell’s Minsi III – McCampbell is the United States Navy’s all-time leading flying ace and top F6F Hellcat ace with 34 aerial victories. He was the third-highest American scoring ace of World War II and the highest-scoring American ace to survive the war. He also set a world single mission aerial combat record of shooting down nine enemy planes in one mission, on October 24, 1944.
Veteran’s had the opportunity to fly fully restored WW2 fighter planes with former Navy and Air Force Pilots in the P51 Mustang, B25 Bomber, Mitsubishi A6M3 Japanese Zero (one of only five left in the world), Capt. Charles Plumb’s, USN (Ret.) PT-19A, Charles flew F-4 Phantoms during the Vietnam conflict, and was shot down on his 75th mission. He spent 5 years and 9 months in a communist prison, the Navy SNJ-5 Texan, Russian Yak 3.
A special fly over and release of ashes over the Pacific for Sabot friend, mentor and WW2 veteran Lewis Cross from Big Horn Wyoming was conducted, and Sabot member and Army Sgt. Stephen Jackel who passed away suddenly on January 3rd was remembered.
