My Achin' BackNATA Clinic in Ocala and Sun N Fun!
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One day, she'll fly... The history of warbirds restoration is long and rich in this country. For some time, they weren't even allowed in military livery; hence the CAF old, old standard of white with red and blue stripes -- still seen on Lefty Gardner's P-38. And while there are many famous airplanes and famous pilots, there are plenty that aren't. One of the proudest days I had in the USAF was when I went out to the TAB-V one dark night after they had painted my name on 565. She was mine, and the crew chief's of course. In that vein, I always thought a bit differently about restorations. It is my goal to acquire and operate a Mustang (and a Corsair, P-40 and P-47). I want her called "My Achin' Back". I saw that name in a nose art book by Jeff Ethell, and on a hangar wall in Sebring, FL. Painted by Don Allen, who painted many, many noses of the 4th Fighter Group. Even on their website, information was light to say the least, bit by bit over time I managed to acquire some detail from Zig and some others on the web and the USAF Historical Agency at Maxwell AFB. "My Achin' Back" probably wasn't assigned to anybody, at least Don Allen can't remember who he painted it for. There are no squadron records left, just the maintenance cards on microfilm. |
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2LT Don Lowther, Air Corps “My Achin’ Back” was flown by 2LT Donald G. Lowther, 0-72213, in Cobweb Red Section (Number 2) on a bomber escort mission. 10 April 1945. He'd been in the Squadron about four months. Breaking formation they left the bombers to RTB and observed 8 Mustangs just leaving Wittstock Aerodrome, 95 clicks NW of Berlin. LT Miller recovered on the continent with wounds and was awarded the Purple Heart.
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QP-D is correct but the serial number is correctly; 44-73155. |
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This is the Air Corps equal to the dogface, the grunt, GI Joe 2LT Lowther did his part to win the war just like everbody else. He made it through training, which was more deadly statistically than combat back then. He did his job and protected his flight lead, the modern version of "Twoop, Bingo, Mayday, Lead you're trailing smoke". Forty-five years later, give or take, there was another unplesantness in a place that gets really hot and is really sandy. I spent my time protecting Northern Honshu from killer whales and polar bears; and holding down a NoDAK pedofile that was going to reunite the Korean pennisula and making sure that nobody got too bored in the Far East Military District of the Rodina and decided to do something really stupid with the keys to the nukes. Not everybody gets to be an Ace in a day, or shoot down 40 or even one. Some guys never even saw a bad guy. They still won the war. And they still deserve our respect. So, in that light... I'd like to restore My Achin' Back with LT Lowther's name on her and tell his story. If there is anybody out there who knows of him or his family, I'd like to talk to him, or them should he be one of the many that already left us. My email, again: skippert6@comcast.net By the way, the picture is Glamorous Gal, also of the 4th Fighter Group flown by Chris Baranaskas. See the cool part is, that's his grandfather's Mustang... |
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