Capt. Jesse Frey

Patriotism, honor, integrity and duty are just a few words that come to mind when I think of a veteran.  Most veterans will tell you "I was just doing my job."  Capt. Jesse Frey will tell you the same. 

My first encounter with Capt. Frey was this past June at the Indianapolis Air Show.  A member of the executive committee brought him to the air show so he could see the Horseman perform in their P-51 Mustangs.  After the show, we made an effort to get Capt. Frey out to meet the pilots before they departed that Sunday evening.  It was the right thing to do.  After all, Jesse could relate to them, he had flown that same aircraft during WWII.

I stayed in touch with the family after the air show and in September I was invited to their home to spend some time with this WWII veteran.  In retrospect, I should have taken the wireless microphones and taken lots of pictures.  I didn't.  However, it was a privilege to listen to him speak about his experiences, see his photographs and here the stories of those he served with.  It was during this time that a great story of how this veteran was honored began to unfold. 

As Capt. Frey began to show picture of the aircraft in the 362nd fighter squadron of the 8th Air Force while they were stationed in England, he began to tell me about a trip to the Gathering of Mustangs in Ohio a few years ago. He'd heard about a P-51 Mustang there called Ain't Misbehavin'.  Armed with his photographs from the war, he was on a mission to find this one plane at the gathering.

When he found the plane, one of the owners was there, and Jesse introduced himself and explained, "I flew a P-51 of the same name in the war."  Phone calls were made, and before long everyone associated with the plane was there to hear Capt. Frey's stories from WWII and see the pictures that he had brought.  Owners of P-51s aren't often humbled, but that was the case at the end of the event when Jesse handed over some of his pictures to the owners and told them he wanted them to have them. 

The owners did something wonderful with those pictures. They took those pictures and their airplane to the paint shop in the summer of 2010.  Ain't Misbehavin' emerged with a paint job that looked like that same plane in the WWII pictures.

Oct 23, 2010:  Reunion: Warbird, Pilot and Crew Chief
If ever there was a grand way to honor a couple of veterans, this was the way to do it (click the link for some background).  The Indiana wing of the Commemorative Air Force, Montgomery Aviation, and P-51 owners Wes Stowers and Billy Strickland deserve many accolades for a first class event. The generosity showed to Capt. Frey's and Pat Buzzeo's families by Billy and Wes was great to see.  Every member of their families got a ride in the P-51.  I really can't sing enough praises for those that put the event together.  I wish every veteran could be honored like this. 

What a pleasure it was to meet Pat Buzzeo, the crew chief that was awarded the Bronze Star for keeping Ain't Misbehavin' in the sky.  Capt Frey flew three hundred hours without an aborted mission for maintenance during the war.  You'll see in the photos in the gallery below that Pat was exuberant after his flight in the P-51!  I'll never forget his enthusiasm when he got out of the plane and exclaimed, "We pulled 4 Gs!"  While re-enacting a photo taken during the war (Capt. Frey on the wing, Pat shaking hand with him), he gave all present another good laugh when he told everyone, "you need to hurry and take your pictures.  My arm is getting tired!"

There was only one disappointment at this gathering.  The lack of media.  Most of us at the event thought local media should have been there.  None of us could think of a better opportunity to shoot a piece for a Veterans Day story.  How often do we we see a 90 year old crew chief, 88 year old pilot, and the airplane they served with, all in one place?  Disappointing. 

No harsh words for Warbird Digest.  They were there and we are looking forward to their article in their next issue. 

Below, you'll find a plethora of links (that have been published about the event.  If you were at the event and have a photo album on the web as well, leave a link in the comments.  If you were there, share your thoughts about the event, or, if you heard a good story from Jesse or Pat, we'd love to see that in the comments too.

Mike Souders/Indy Transponder

90 yr old crew chief Pat Buzzeo

 

Photos from Rob Sanders


CAF Members and Friends,
On October 23, Indianapolis Executive Airportcrew chief, Pat Buzzeo. It was an amazing day. About 200 people attended. The event has been captured in two different YouTube videos. Enjoy!! and the CAF hosted the reunion of the fully restored North American P-51 Ain’t Misbehavin' with its WWII pilot, Jesse "Dick" Frey, and his

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS6iFSZgOg4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UqKv0pvfco

Regards,
Col. Bruce Cooper  

From Capt. Frey's Church - their October Newsletter.

Jesse "Dick" Frey: American Hero

Captain Jesse "Dick" Frey, CPCC Elder Emeritus and former P51 Fighter Pilot, was recently reunited with not only a fully restored plane, also known as "Ain't Misbehavin'," but also his crew chief who is 90 years young.

The historical event was hosted by Montgomery Aviation, Inc. and the Indiana Wing of the Commemorative Air Force which is dedicated to preserving America's Warbirds and their stories.

For more information and a picture gallery, click here.