Pilot Lt Bill Overstreet, Jr. ~ WWII P-51 C (WW II aviator, William B.”Bill” Overstreet)

The P-51 fighter pilot who flew through the Eiffel Tower in 1944 has died.**

Hero: World War II Aviator Bill Overstreet Jr., best known for flying beneath the Eiffel Tower in pursuit of a German plane, is pictured in his military days. Before the ceremony, Overstreet had previously said that, if he lived long enough to receive the Legion of Honor, he would be accepting it in memory of his fallen brothers. In particular, he wanted to pay tribute to a friend, Eddy Simpson, who died fighting the Nazis on the ground so his comrades, including Overstreet, could escape. After the award was pinned to his lapel, Overstreet said: 'If I said, "Thank you," it wouldn't be enough,' before adding: 'What more than "thank you" do you need?' He was born in Clifton Forge, Virginia in 1921 and after Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Air Corps as a fighter pilot. By February 1942, he was a private and sent to California for flight training; there, his instructors prepared him for the unexpected mid-flight by cutting the engine as he landed.*