As airplanes go, the North American F-86 Sabre is as iconic as it gets. The fighter aircraft that dominated in the Korean war became an enduring symbol of the Jet Age and the Cold War. So you could hardly blame a young Air Force mechanic for getting a little carried-away.
By September of 1944, the Western Allies had broken out of the Normandy beachehead, and suddenly and quickly moved across northern France . By September 7th, the 90th division was stretched across the northern sector on Patton’s Third Army’s left, advancing slowly northeast. As they did so the German defenders made a risky attack in an effort to spoil the allied advance, cutting through Allied lines in a surprise action at the small town of Mairy-Mannville.